Amitabh Bachchan’s brother says their father had another name for Big B; reveals why they adopted Bachchan surname

Big B was almost not named Amitabh, revealed his brother Ajitabh in an interview. In a chat with RJ Sachin, he said that his elder brother was almost named ‘Inquilab’ by their father, the late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

“My brother was five years older, and my father wanted to name him Inquilab, because he was struggling for independence. My name was to be Azad. I was born in Independent India," Ajitabh said.

He also revealed why they abandoned their original surname Srivastava and adopted the last name Bachchan. It was a subtle protest against the caste system.


Harivansh Rai, a member of the Kayastha community, initially adopted Bachchan as a literary alias. The term, signifying innocence or childlike qualities in Hindi, was originally a loving expression his mother often used while addressing him.

“She would call him, ‘Bachchanwa kidhar hai?’ He liked that and began using it as his writing name,” he stated.

Fond of that endearment, he chose it as his identity in writing. Over time, the chosen name took root beyond his work. When his son Amitabh was enrolled in school, the family formally registered Bachchan as their surname, deliberately distancing themselves from caste-linked identifiers.

At the age of 81, Amitabh Bachchan remains among the most dynamic and enduring figures in Indian cinema. He is presently serving as the host of the seventeenth edition of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), a program he has successfully led for more than twenty years.

On the cinematic side, he recently appeared in Vettaiyan, marking his entry into Tamil films, and is preparing for significant upcoming projects, including the continuation of Kalki 2898 AD and the legal drama Section 84. Beyond his screen presence, he actively maintains a personal blog where he writes about his thoughts on life, his experiences in cinema, and moments with his family.