Amitabh Bachchan recalls early career struggles and criticism

Veteran actor remembers being told he was inexperienced and too tall before gradually finding his footing in Bollywood

Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has opened up about the struggles he faced at the beginning of his acting career, recalling how he was repeatedly criticised for being inexperienced and too tall for the roles he sought.

In a recent episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Bachchan welcomed four Indian Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists — boxer Lovlina Borgohain, judoka Asmita Dey, para-powerlifter Jhandu Kumar and para-athlete Sharmila Dhankar — and reflected on the discipline and setbacks that shaped his career.

The conversation began when Dey asked Bachchan whether actors, like athletes, are reprimanded by directors when they make mistakes.

Bachchan laughed as he recalled the criticism he faced during his early years in the industry. “You don't know anything, you are too tall, go home,” he remembered being told by people who questioned his acting ability and physical appearance.

Even after securing roles, Bachchan said he continued to receive criticism over his dialogue delivery. “Then when I finally got work, it was, ‘OK fine, stand over there and say this dialogue. Is this any way to deliver a dialogue?’ Then they would direct me, and slowly I improved,” he recalled.

 

 

 

 

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The actor also described an incident from his early career when he arrived late for a shoot after borrowing someone else’s car because he did not yet own one. He said the director was already waiting outside and had called off the day’s filming. “Get out of here,” Bachchan recalled being told before he was sent away from the set.

According to the actor, the repeated criticism and guidance he received gradually helped him improve his craft and shaped the performer he would eventually become.

Bachchan’s journey to stardom was marked by several setbacks. In 1969, he lent his voice to Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome before making his acting debut in Saat Hindustani. He also unsuccessfully auditioned for a newsreader’s position at All India Radio.

His fortunes changed with Zanjeer, which established him as Hindi cinema’s “angry young man”. The film was followed by a series of landmark performances in movies including Deewaar, Sholay, Don, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Trishul, Kaala Patthar and Agneepath.

Those roles laid the foundation for a career spanning more than five decades, making Bachchan one of the most enduring figures in Indian cinema.