From "Finished" to Phenomenon: The Resurgence of Amitabh Bachchan

In 1988, Amitabh Bachchan's film "Ganga Jamuna Saraswati" failed miserably at the box office, and this incident marked the beginning of a tough phase for the superstar of the century. "The Illustrated Weekly of India" published a cover story on his situation titled "FINISHED" at that time. Things became even more difficult for Amitabh after this news. From 1988 to 2000, 90% of his films were unsuccessful, although a few films were hits in between.

In 1995, Amitabh started ABCL (Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited), but this company soon went bankrupt and Amitabh was heavily in debt. Actor Anjan Srivastava, a banker then, recalled that Amitabh had promised his boss at Canara Bank with folded hands to repay the loan. In this difficult time, when Dhirubhai Ambani came to know about Amitabh's situation, he sent his son Anil Ambani to him with an offer of financial help. But Amitabh politely declined the offer and thanked Dhirubhai.

And then, in 2000, "Kaun Banega Crorepati" arrived. The TV show proved to be a huge hit and its viewership reached 2.7 crore in the first season. The success of "KBC" made Amitabh a familiar face in every household once again. Now the show is in its 16th season and Amitabh reportedly charges Rs 5 crore for each episode, making him India's most expensive TV host, that too at the age of 81.

His massive comeback also came with a huge increase in brand endorsements. He became the face of big brands like UpGrad, Cadbury, Parker Pens, and Gujarat Tourism, earning him Rs 50-60 crore annually from endorsements alone. When the era of social media came, Amitabh quickly adopted it too. Today he has more than 100 million followers on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

Recently, Hurun published the list of India's richest HNIs, which included Amitabh Bachchan's name. His net worth was reported to be around Rs 1600 crore, and as per reports, his wealth could go up to Rs 3000 crore. Amitabh Bachchan built a fortune from 0 to 3000 crore in just 24 years. He is truly a 'one-man startup' of India.

Now the question arises, where are those people who predicted Amitabh's downfall in 1988? Five years after the story titled "Finished", "The Illustrated Weekly of India" shut down. Most of its former editors, such as Khushwant Singh, are no longer with us. In 2002, the editor at the time, Pritish Nandy, who perhaps coined the title "Finished", made the film "Kaante" with Amitabh. The film turned out to be a huge hit and became the biggest success of Pritish Nandy's career. It was the justice of fate that let Amitabh's hard work speak for itself, not the words of others.

Dhirubhai Ambani once said publicly about Amitabh, "This boy had fallen, but he stood up again on his strength, I respect him."

Amitabh Bachchan is not just a cinema superstar; he is a real-life rockstar. Because he is the man who stood like a rock in front of adversity and won. It took him 15 years, but he never gave up.

If one person personifies this line - "Hum Jahan Khade Hote Hai, Line Wahin Se Shuru Hoti Hai," - it is Amitabh Bachchan.