The ever-classy Amitabh Bachchan turns 71 today, and while we may have loved him first for his films, he’s managed to grow into something else over the years: a superstar in a way that has nothing to do with the roles that he’s played. Maybe it’s in the way that he speaks or the way he holds himself, but Big B is one of the few people in Bollywood who remains entirely personable, even while his aura demands respect. To celebrate this great man’s birthday, we’re sharing with you five lessons that we’ve learned from him over all these years.
1. Age is just a number
It’s been over three decades since he first started working in films, but still: he’s not ready to hang up his shoes just yet, he has no dearth of work coming to him, and he’s still a fantastic choice for a magazine cover. It may have been tempting to give up when he hit a rough patch in the late 90s, but he persevered and managed to give some of his biggest hits post that period. He’s going strong still, but most importantly, he’s retained a sense of spirit that has managed to elude even some of the younger actors in the industry. That’s why he’s the perfect choice to play the role of a 102-year-old who still lives life to its fullest in his upcoming film!
2. Never lose your zest for learning
A quick run-through Bachchan’s Twitter account, and you’ll see that so many of his tweets/retweets are random facts – and he always seems so excited about having learnt them! He lives up to his KBC phrase – seekhna bandh toh jeetna bandh.
3. The importance of being amiable
Even though he’s such a huge star, Amitabh Bachchan always appears warm and friendly. He makes it a point to step out of his house every Sunday that he’s in the city, just to wave to all the fans that gather to catch a glimpse of him. He’s got fans fawning over him on KBC every week, but he takes it in his stride and always does his best to put them at ease or make them smile. Even when it comes to the media, he treats them with respect and politely requests privacy when he needs it – and more often than not, he gets it.
4. It pays to be organised
He’s nothing if not organised: he makes it a point to update his blog regularly, he seems to specifically schedule in time to update his Twitter (he’ll even number his tweets so he doesn’t lose track of them), there’s a system to read newspapers in his house, he doesn’t flake from his commitments once he’s made them, and most importantly – he’s always on time. Everywhere.
5. Pay attention to your health
He’s had a bunch of health scares himself, but he’s managed to bounce back every time. He takes health very seriously – he doesn’t drink, he has regular check-ups and he’s also lent his voice for health campaigns (he’s UNICEF’s brand ambassador against polio – his campaign in India had a big part to play in bringing about awareness of the subject). Also, he’s 71 and he still goes to the gym. What’s your excuse?