Meet Amitabh Bachchan: FIAF Film Preservation Award Winner

This post was written by Erica Jones, Project Film Specialist in the Moving Image Department. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services: Grant #MA-245614-OMS-20. Visit www.imls.gov. Learn more about the grant in our previous post: Cinema Refugees: Conserving and Preserving South Asian Film.

“As artists I believe we have a duty to preserve what we create. Our work represents a lifetime of passion and devotion to our craft. We need to ensure that we preserve this legacy in memory of all those who came before us and in recognition of the moving image as an artform and a visual document of humankind.”

-Amitabh Bachchan

This statement was given by Amitabh Bachchan during his acceptance speech for the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Film Preservation Award in 2021. This prestigious international award is given annually to an individual who has shown dedication and contributions to the preservation of and access to the world’s film heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. Bachchan was presented this award by film directors and icons of cinema Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan ( See his presentation here: https://www.fiafnet.org/pages/Events/Amitabh-Bachchan-2021-FIAF-Award.html).

Amitabh Bachchan’s humble acceptance speech clearly shows his dedication to his craft and his role as an emissary for India and Indian cinema. This award highlights not only his career and dedication to film preservation but acknowledges and illuminates the importance of Indian cinema on a world stage. It is a global recognition of not just an individual but an industry; recognition of a collective memory of India’s history and heritage which can only be seen through film. While he may only see himself as “just a small element in the Indian film industry,” his career, dedication, and global impact clearly make him a luminary figure in the world of cinema. To say he is respected in the world of cinema and has a large worldwide following would probably be an understatement of his career and accomplishments.

Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor, film producer, television host, playback singer, and former politician, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. Bachchan began his career as the voice narrator for Mrinal Sen’s 1969 film Bhuvan Shome and since then has made over 200 films with a dynamic career spanning over 5 decades. He has received 4 National Film Awards as Best Actor, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement, and won 15 Filmfare awards. The government of France has honored Bachchan with their highest civilian honor, Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond and finally the government of India has awarded him the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts.

His career and iconic status emphasize the impact certain artists, groups, or experiences can have on our lives and the paths we choose. Amitabh Bachchan is one of my favorite actors. He is the actor who defined my entry point into the world of Indian cinema, through the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Karan Johar, India 2001), and into my career as a film archivist, as the first film I inspected for this position at the George Eastman Museum was Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo (Anil Sharma, India 2004).

This award supports the importance of our work in conserving the extensive South Asian Cinema collections at the George Eastman Museum. When examining the George Eastman Museum’s extensive Bollywood film collection, spanning the years 2000 to 2013, Amitabh Bachchan made a total of 72 films, of which we have 54 in the Gabay Collection. It is an honor to help preserve these films, his legacy, and the legacy of South Asian cinema for future generations to enjoy. Bachchan is more than a memorable and dynamic actor, his presence through the cinematic screen has anchored each new stage and development of my relationship with and love of Indian cinema.

At the very end of the FIAF presentation, we hear an impromptu conservation between Amitabh Bachchan and filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur where he succinctly summarizes what we do as film archivists and why the preservation and accessibility of these films and objects are necessary. I will leave you with his words and hope that they impact you to view cinema and its preservation with greater clarity and passion.

“The reasons for doing it is you know to preserve them for posterity. But I’ve always believed that cinema is one of the greatest integrators in the world. In this fast disintegrating world cinema is one element that we can unite together. When we buy a ticket to go into a theater, we never ask the caste, the creed, the color, or the religion of the person sitting next to us. Yet we watch the same product, we laugh at the same jokes, we cry with the same sentiment, we sing the same songs. In today’s world where do you find these elements, you find it in cinema and therefore its preservation is extremely important. “

-Amitabh Bachchan