After repeated tries, Amitabh Bachchan tasted failure in BollywoodHe had been trying to break into the industry for a long time, but faced rejection every time. He got his first break from the movie Saat Hindustani in 1969. The film got him the best debut award of the year but couldn’t fetch him any recognition in the industry yet. The struggling actor then was looking for work in the industry.
Meanwhile, in 1969, Amitabh Bachchan’s after a long run of disappointing failures, Mrinal Sen started with his next directorial project. With a cast and crew comprising primarily inexperienced people, he started shooting and titled the film Bhuvan Shome. This was his first Hindi directorial project. With a low budget, he cast all strugglers and non-actors. He was sure to shoot it beautifully.
Amitabh Bachchan’s was in search of work, and his baritone voice was initially rejected by All India Radio. He wanted to prove his acting as well as his voice and diction. Mrinal Sen went to him and offered him a narrator’s role in his first Hindi movie. That was the time an unknown struggler lent his voice for the commentary for Rs 300. His name was, of course, Amitabh Bachchan. Mrinal Sen‘s Bhuvan Shome not only launched the ‘art’ cinema movement, but it also launched the career of Amitabh Bachchan.
When the movie was released in 1969, he received fame and acknowledgement for his voice. The film also received a national award. People loved his voice a lot. Mrinal Sen once said, ‘His voice is ok … but he will never make it as an actor.’ But he did make it as an actor. And his distinctive voice played a large part.
Bachchan’s aural control leaves voice artists such as Chetan Shashitlal and Ninad Kamat, legends in the advertising world, in awe. Shashitlal observes, ‘Mr. Bachchan knows how to use his words, and he knows what his voice is all about. His voice is a case study—it has evolved over time. In Sholay, it wasn’t as deep as in Laawaris. Even when he shouts, he is completely in control.’ Kamat adds, ‘He has a voice culture that he has purposefully developed over the years.’ Both these artists have dubbed in Bachchan’s voice for commercials whenever Bachchan was not available. This says that ironies never cease to exist. The future is all surprises, but we must not leave off trying towards what we really love to do.
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