Amitabh Bachchan denies belonging to any religion, says 'I'm Indian'

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, veteran Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who is currently serving as the host to the television show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) shared an interesting anecdote about his surname and religion. During a conversation with sociologist Bindeshwar Pathak, Amitabh Bachchan reportedly said that his surname ‘Bachchan' does not belong to any religion as his father was against it. The veteran star further revealed that his original surname was 'Srivastava' but they never believed in it. He said that he feels proud to be the first person to hold this family name. 

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Recalling the time he was taking admission to Kindergarten, Amitabh Bachchan said that his father was asked his surname and that is when they decided that his surname would be ‘Bachchan'. He also revealed that when Census employees come to his place and ask him about his religion, he always answers that he belongs to no religion but rather identifies himself as an Indian.

Talking about the celebrations of the festival and his father's high moral ethics, Amitabh Bachchan shared that following their family rule of putting colour on the feet of the eldest and highly respected man during Holi, his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan used to put colours on legs of the person who cleaned toilets before starting his celebration. 

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Amitabh Bachchan wins Dadasaheb Phalke award

Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award recently for his contribution to Indian cinema. With a career spanning over decades, The legendary actor is known for his incredible acting skills in a variety of films over the years. The megastar made his debut in the Hindi film industry in 1969 and has a contribution of 50 years in films. The actor has taken up many social causes like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and polio awareness. 

READ | Politicians, Celebrities, & Netizens Pay Tribute On Gandhi Jayanti

What's next for Amitabh Bachchan

On the professional front, Amitabh Bachchan is still one of the busiest actors of Bollywood right now, having ‘Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy’, ‘Jhund’, ‘Brahmastra’, ‘Chehere’ and ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ up for release over this year and the next year. His 'Badla' was one of the most successful films this year.

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