2024-10-11 09:27:04 :
October 11, 2024: Amitabh Bachchan sleeps at Marine Drive, refuses to pay Rs 10,000 for star-struck ad: ‘I resisted temptation’
Amitabh Bachchan is one of the most iconic superstars of Indian cinema, and his influence spans generations and continues to evolve with the times. However, early on in his career, he was firmly committed to one goal: to become an actor. In an interview with Vir Sanghvi, the superstar revealed that he once turned down a lucrative advertising offer of Rs 10,000 as he did not want anything to distract him from his acting ambitions. At the time, he was so strapped for money that he slept on benches along the promenade with only rats for company.
Bachchan moved to Bombay in the late 1960s after a brief period working for a British company in Calcutta. Although he was the son of the famous poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, his financial situation was difficult when he first arrived in the city. With just a driving license and a dream, he was determined to make a name for himself as an actor. Soon he was offered a job as an advertising model and was paid 10,000 rupees – a considerable amount of money at the time, especially considering that his monthly salary for doing radio shows was only 50 rupees. However, he declined the offer. “I thought I would lose something by advertising, but I resisted the temptation,” recalls Bachchan.
Decades later, when his company ABCL (Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd) faced financial difficulties in the late 1990s, his resolve to avoid advertising softened, prompting him to take up advertising for the first time. But in the 1960s, his sole focus was performance, even if it meant sacrificing comfort. Bachchan admitted that if his acting career did not succeed, he was ready to drive a taxi. “I came to Mumbai with a driving license and that was it. I thought if I had not become an actor, I would have driven a taxi,” he shared.
Finding shelter proved to be another challenge. Without a permanent home and unwilling to stay too long with his friends, Bachchan slept on a bench on the Marine Drive for several nights. “I had no place to stay. You can’t spend too much time at friends’ houses, so I ended up sleeping on a bench on the promenade with some of the biggest rats I’d ever seen,” he said.
Eventually, his persistence paid off and Bachchan’s acting talent was recognized. Soon, he started acting in films, making him the ‘Shaan Shah’ of Indian cinema. His journey from sleeping on a bench to becoming one of Bollywood’s biggest stars is a testament to his unwavering dedication to his craft.
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