Produced by: Manoj Kumar
In the 1960s, Amitabh Bachchan, broke and unknown, slept on Marine Drive benches, sharing space with rats while chasing his dream of stardom.
Despite earning just Rs 50 from radio spots, Bachchan shocked ad agencies by refusing Rs 10,000 for a commercial—believing it would taint his image as a serious actor.
Bachchan’s philosophy was clear: acting or nothing. He resisted lucrative ad offers, fearing modeling gigs would dilute his cinematic ambitions.
He confessed to journalist Vir Sanghvi that if acting failed, he was prepared to drive a cab in Mumbai—anything but compromise his goal to act.
Even as his situation turned desperate, Bachchan refused to appear in ads, prioritizing his artistic purity over financial comfort.
Ironically, years later, during ABCL’s financial collapse, Bachchan turned to brand endorsements to keep his company afloat, marking a sharp pivot from his earlier stance.
In his later years, Bachchan became a brand juggernaut, endorsing everything from pens to cement, reshaping his public image as India’s most bankable face.
The actor’s journey from a man who rejected Rs 10,000 ads to becoming India’s most recognisable brand ambassador is a rare tale of conviction, crisis, and commercial reinvention.
With films like Zanjeer, Deewar, and Sholay, Bachchan built a legacy so towering that today, no ad can overshadow his cinematic stature.