Claim: Amitabh Bachchan was referred to as "Big B".

Amitabh Harivansh Rai Shrivastava Bachchan -LRB- -LSB- əmɪˈtaːbʱ ˈbətʃːən -RSB- ; born 11 October 1942 -RRB- is an Indian film actor . He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for movies like Zanjeer and Deewaar , and was dubbed India 's first `` angry young man '' for his on-screen roles in Bollywood . Referred to as the `` Shahenshah of Bollywood '' , `` Star of the Millennium '' or `` Big B '' ,  he has since appeared in over 190 Indian films in a career spanning almost five decades . Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema . So total was his dominance on the movie scene in the 1970s and 1980s that the French director François Truffaut called him a `` one-man industry . ''   Bachchan has won numerous accolades in his career , including four National Film Awards as Best Actor and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies . He has won fifteen Filmfare Awards and is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare , with 41 nominations overall . In addition to acting , Bachchan has worked as a playback singer , film producer and television presenter . He has hosted several seasons of the game show , Kaun Banega Crorepati , India 's version of the game show franchise , Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ? . He also had a stint in politics in the 1980s .   The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984 , the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts . The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour , Knight of the Legion of Honour , in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond .   Bachchan made his Hollywood debut in 2013 with The Great Gatsby , in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character , Meyer Wolfsheim .