My family is my wonderful gift: Amitabh Bachchan

Big B will celebrate his 70th birthday with loved ones.

MUMBAI: Birthday presents are for kids! As for Amitabh Bachchan, who celebrates his 70th birthday on October 11, the greatest gift ever is the intangible love of his family — his wife, children and grandchildren, whose warmth and affection keep him going steady in his personal and professional life.

He gives special importance to his late parents — the renowned poet Harivanshrai Bachchan and his wife Teji. “I look forward to spending time with my family. All the gifts and presents that I needed have already come my way — the blessings of my parents, which I consider the largest gift and their presence in my life through all the upbringing that they gave me,” Bachchan shared.

He said his most precious gifts are his family and no one can replace them. “My family — my wife Jaya and the two wonderful gifts she gave me — Abhishek and Shweta and now my bahu in the house, Aishwarya, and a little granddaughter, Aaradhya,” added the megastar.

In his four decades in the Hindi film industry, Bachchan has grown to become one of the most formidable names of the country, known internationally. His active involvement in social issues, as well as his compassionate connection to the masses through TV show “Kaun Banega Crorepati” has given viewers and fans a window to his philanthropic side.

If it was up to him, the busy star would have wanted some rare, quiet time with his family. But close ones to Big B want to make it big, reportedly with a huge dinner party on October 10, an art show, poster exhibition and book launch.

“My family this time wants to have a celebration on my birthday. I have an idea that it might be celebrated on the night of October 10, but nobody is ready to disclose anything to me,” he said.

“Whenever my birthday comes closer, I inform my family members not to do anything special because I don’t like it. Small and peaceful family time is more than enough for me. But this time, Jaya thinks there should be a celebration. She is doing everything; I have not been informed about any preparations. All I know is something is cooking,” added the 69-year-old, who was known as Bollywood’s angry young man in the ‘70s.

As a child, Bachchan says, everyone has a reason to look forward to their birthday. “When you are a kid, you enjoy birthdays not because you are going to get presents and gifts. You look forward to the time what your parents are going to give you.” He adds, “But as you grow older, the whole concept of maturity kicks in. When I entered films, other people were more interested in celebrating my birthday than I was. I still feel it’s just another year gone by.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2012.              

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