Amitabh Bachchan turns 82: 6 must-watch films of Big B from 21st century

Legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is celebrating his 82nd birthday on October 11. He delivered one of his career’s most memorable performances this year by playing the role of Ashwatthama in Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD. In his five-decade-long career, the actor has been part of more than 190 films. Marking the occasion of Big B’s birthday, we list down six of his most memorable performances of the 21st century that you must watch online.

Mohabbatein (2000)

Amitabh Bachchan played one of his most popular roles, a college principal named Narayan Shankar in Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein, and his dialogue ‘Parampara, pratishtha aur anushasan’ is still popular. The film explores themes of forbidden love, friendships and the relationship between a father and a daughter. Also starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Uday Chopra, Jimmy Shergill, Jugal Hansraj, Preeti Jhangiani, Kim Sharma and Shamita Shetty, the film was a blockbuster hit.

The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)

Karan Johar’s film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is considered to be a cult classic in Bollywood. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Jaya Bachchan, the film explores family dynamics. Amitabh plays the patriarch of the Raichand family, Yashvardhan.

The film is available to stream on Netflix.

Black (2005)

Starring Rani Mukerji and Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black is inspired by the life of Helen Keller and her 1903 autobiography, The Story of My Life. The film showcases the relationship between a deaf-and-blind woman named Michelle and her teacher Debraj, an alcoholic teacher who later develops Alzheimer's disease.

The film is available to stream on Netflix.

Bhoothnath (2008)

Vivek Sharma’s Bhootnath is one of the most popular films among children in India. Amitabh plays the role of a ghost named Kailash Nath who forms a friendship with a child named Banku, the new tenant of his house. The horror-comedy film is still popular even after 16 years of its release. The film also starred Juhi Chawla and Shah Rukh Khan.

The film can be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.

Piku (2015)

Shoojit Sircar’s family drama film revolves around the lives of Piku (Deepika Padukone) and her father Bhaskhor (Amitabh Bachchan), who is suffering from chronic constipation. The father-daughter relationship is explored as they embark on a long drive from Delhi to Kolkata. The film also featured actor Irrfan Khan.

The film is available to stream on Sony LIV.

Kalki 2898 AD (2024)

Amitabh played the role of Ashwatthama in Nag Ashwin-directed Telugu film Kalki 2898 AD. In the film, Ashwatthama is given the responsibility of protecting Sumati, the mother of Kalki. Inspired by Hindu mythology, the film also stars Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani.  The film is available to stream on Netflix (Hindi) and Amazon Prime Video.