Big B turns 80: Special film fest to showcase his 11 iconic films

MUMBAI: A special film festival titled 'Bachchan Back To The Beginning' will be held from October 8 to October 11 to mark the momentous occasion of the 80th birthday of the veteran superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

The festival will celebrate the actor through his landmark early films across 17 Indian cities, covering 172 showcases and 30 screens across 22 cinema halls. The unique festival has been announced by Film Heritage Foundation in partnership with PVR Cinemas

Film Heritage Foundation, founded by filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, has curated a collection of eleven blockbuster films that gave birth to one of the biggest superstars of the nation who continues to shine as brightly over 50 years since his debut on the silver screen.

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director, Film Heritage Foundation said in a statement: "Growing up, I was the biggest Amitabh Bachchan fan. I used to break bounds when I was in school to watch his films and was often thrown out of class in college for sitting in the back benches and writing notes about his films. I am so glad that the Film Heritage Foundation is paying tribute to Mr. Bachchan on his 80th birthday with the first-of-its-kind country-wide four-day festival."

Speaking about the curated list of films, he further noted: "It has been a mammoth task putting together the best of his early films that launched him as a superstar and to showcase these films so that audiences across the country can enjoy the films the way they were originally screened - on the big screen. I know that this will be the first of many festivals that will bring our cinematic heritage back to the theatres where it belongs."

The showcase will cover cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad to Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Raipur, Kanpur, Kolhapur, Prayagraj and Indore and will screen films such as 'Don', 'Kaala Patthar', 'Kaalia', 'Kabhie Kabhie', 'Amar Akbar Anthony', 'Namak Halaal', 'Abhimaan', 'Deewar', 'Mili', 'Satte Pe Satta' and 'Chupke Chupke'.

To coincide with the film festival, Film Heritage Foundation that is dedicated to the preservation, restoration, documentation and exhibition of India's film heritage will also set up an exhibition of rare Amitabh Bachchan memorabilia at PVR Juhu in Mumbai.

The narrative of the exhibition will be told through arresting framed visuals, celebrating decades of success, fandom and accolades. The exhibition, curated by film historian, author and archivist S. M. M. Ausaja, will entail a diverse and carefully curated collection of memorabilia, including rare vintage posters, commissioned artworks, photographs, LP jackets, magazine covers, a giant 7 feet standee and the original Shahenshah costume.