Super Star

A bit about the painting.

I’ve used a bit of the contouring features to create the form. Have used a warm colour scheme with some shades of blue and green to enhance the shaded part of the form. The background is set on a red tone with splashes of blue and amber which blends in with the colour scheme of the form to ensure continuity of the flow.

Why Amitabh??

Part of growing up, for me, included being influenced by a few icons. One of them was unquestionably Amitabh Bachchan. While he was indeed my favourite movie star during my younger years as would have been the case with millions of Indians and perhaps many around the world, what has been inspiring is his journey.

Despite a tall frame and a deep voice Amitabh faced a lot of rejections early on in his career. But he finally got his break in movies in 1969.

The 70’s and 80’s were his prime years with many hits. Sholay, Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Don and many others. Despite his towering success, the 1980s brought significant challenges. In 1982 he almost died while shooting for Coolie. But he survived and made a remarkable comeback.

He was close to the Gandhi family and in 1984, he tried his hand in politics, winning a Lok Sabha seat from Allahabad. That endeavour did not last long though. He was falsely implicated in the Bofors scandal but was given a clean chit later. In the late '90s, he launched his company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. (ABCL), but that suffered heavy losses, leaving him in debt.

Just when many thought his era had ended, Bachchan staged one of the most inspirational comebacks - KBC. Hosting the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” brought him into every household. His calm, dignified presence was an immediate hit with audiences. There were many who tried to copy this formula, but Big B proved he was top notch.

He even returned to films and chose to do roles that amplified his graceful aging. He played lead roles in Mohabbatein, Baghban, Black, Paa, Sarkar, Cheeni Kum, Piku and Pink proving he was far from done. While there were movies that bombed there was always something he kept doing to reinvent himself as an actor.

Despite controversies and failures, he remains a towering figure in Indian popular culture—respected, admired, and still evolving.

What has been inspiring to me personally is the fact that the super star that we knew had to deal with multiple crisis in his life. At every stage in his life this man faced severe adversities. His challenges were physical, emotional and financial. But he rose back fighting hard and made a comeback every time. Truly inspiring.

Amitabh Bachchan is an Inspiration not only for youngsters, but also many adults like me who enter into their mid lives wondering what life stands for. He keeps reinventing himself and proving to the world that he’s not done.

This piece is dedicated to him – and aptly titled – The Super Star