Happy Birthday Amitabh Bachchan: How Big B taught us to Never look back!

George Bernard Shaw once famously said, ‘Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds, cannot do anything.’ It would not be far from the truth to say that Amitabh Bachchan is one actor who has not rested on his laurels. And what laurels they have been! Apart from bagging several awards, the superstar was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1984,   Padma Bhushan in 2001 and in 2015, the Padma Vibhushan, for his contribution to the arts. It would have been really easy for him to keep doing what he does, but Bachchan has always strived for more. Here’s a look at some of the pioneering things he has been associated with:

1. BIG B ON THE SMALL SCREEN

It’s common to see Bollywood actors either judging or hosting shows on television these days. But in the year 2000, there was just one man who dared to step on to the small screen to pave the way for the future. The quiz show — Kaun Banega Crorepati — hosted by AB, which is in its ninth season currently, is one of the most watched and loved shows of all time.

2. EER BIR PHATTE

In 1996, Bachchan collaborated with music composer Bally Sagoo to come up with a pop album called Aby Baby. While the album had some of his hit Bollywood tracks, there were some penned by his father, the legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. The song, Eer Bir Phatte, which showed the tall actor shaking a leg with some professional dancers, became an instant hit with the masses.

3. RULING THE SUPER MEDIA

In January this year, a media agency conducted an online poll and declared Bachchan as the undisputed king of social media, beating many of the current lot of superstars. As of January 2017, he had 247,016,80 followers on Facebook and 235, 508,18 followers on Twitter, that he joined in 2010. The best part? The actor handles all his social media accounts personally and continues to remain active on both his social media accounts and pages.