Big B turns 66

Indian cinema thespian Amitabh Bachchan, whose deep baritone is synonymous with his success and fame, turned 66 today.The Shahenshah of Bollywood, who continues to dominate the Hindi film industry even in his sixties, took a break from shooting to spend the day here with his grandchildren who have come over from Delhi for their Dussehra-Diwali vacation.After completing work in ‘Alladin’ and ‘Shoebite’, Big B, as Bachchan is popularly called, is currently shooting for ‘Teen Patti’, a flick directed by Leena Yadav.Eager to catch a glimpse of their matinee idol, hordes of fans from all over the country stationed themselves outside his bungalow ‘Jalsa’ in suburban Mumbai while the television media was also present in the area for sound bytes and stories.Over the years, on his birthday, the Bollywood legend has been coming out of his house to greet his fans. This year has been an eventful one for the Big B. He had releases like ‘Sarkar Raj’, ‘God Tussi Great Ho’, ‘Bhootnath’ and ‘The Last Lear’.Besides, ‘The Unforgettable Tour’ was his biggest world concert in several years in which he was accompanied by his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya. The tour, spanning over a month, covered the US and Europe.But, the highlight was that the Big B turned blogger. His blog has been the most visited and read with keen interest by the media and fans.Bachchan’s life had its share of controversies and criticism. He was accused of illegally acquiring agro land in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, by claiming to be a farmer. He, however, later got a clean chit from the Allahabad High Court. Bachchan was also embroiled in another land row in Maharashtra.