'When I was born...': Amitabh Bachchan once revealed he is 'half-Sardar', talked about his maternal granparents

On Gurpurab 2025, it’s a fitting occasion to reflect on a lesser-known facet of one of India’s most iconic stars — Amitabh Bachchan. As we commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, let’s revisit the superstar's cultural heritage when Bachchan himself shared that he is half-Sikh, with his maternal roots tracing back to a Sikh family from Punjab.

In an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16, the legendary actor reflected on his parents' marriage, expressing discomfort with the term "inter-caste" to describe their relationship. The Sholay actor shared, "I find it a little awkward to call it inter-caste. My father was from Uttar Pradesh, and my mother was from a Sikh family. I believe I am half-Sardar. When I was born, my masis (maternal aunts) would say, 'Kinna sona putar hai, sadda Amitabh Singh (What a beautiful son, our Amitabh Singh).'"

On a past Gurpurab, Bachchan shared about his childhood in Allahabad and his mother's deep faith. He wrote on his official blog, "Those early years in Allahabad, when Ma recited and sang the eternal, pious, and divine words of the Gurbani in my ears....'tati vaar na jaavaee...' My mother, as you know, was a Sikh — Teji Kaur Suri. My grandfather was Sardar Khazan Singh Suri, my grandmother a Sodi, and her family, my mother’s maternal uncles, were the Prabandhaks of the Anandpur Sahib Gurudwara."

Meanwhile, on the work front, Amitabh Bachchan is now seen hosting the knowledge-based game show Kaun Banega Crorepati 17 on Sony TV. The 83-year-old superstar will be seen next in the legal drama Section 84, that also stars Abhishek Banerjee, Nimrat Kaur, and Diana Penty in the leading roles and has been directed by Ribhu Dasgupta. Dasgupta and Bachchan have previously worked together in the 2014 psychological thriller TV miniseries Yudh and the 2016 mystery thriller film Te3n.

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