Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Amitabh Bachchan’s Supporting Roles Showcased His Screen Command
Amitabh Bachchan has acted in many Hindi films for more than five decades.
This article looks at six times he played an important supporting character rather than the main lead.
In Anand, he played a thoughtful doctor.
In Chupke Chupke, he showed a funny and playful side.
In Mohabbatein, he played a strict school principal with a painful past.
In Black, he was a determined teacher helping a deafblind girl communicate.
That performance earned him a National Film Award for Best Actor.
In Piku, he played a fussy father whose arguments with his daughter also show their affection.
In Kalki 2898 AD, he played an ancient warrior in a science-fiction story.
These roles show how he could make very different characters memorable.
The article highlights six supporting performances by Amitabh Bachchan, from Anand (1971) to Kalki 2898 AD (2024).
In Anand and Chupke Chupke, Bachchan showed restraint and comic timing alongside leading actors Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra.
In Mohabbatein, he played strict Gurukul principal Narayan Shankar, whose authority is shaped by personal loss and unresolved beliefs.
His role as teacher Debraj Sahai in Black earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
In Piku and Kalki 2898 AD, he portrayed, respectively, a stubborn ageing father and the immortal warrior Ashwatthama.
- Who
- Amitabh Bachchan, in six supporting roles discussed in the article.
- What
- A retrospective of performances in which Bachchan made a strong impression outside the central lead role.
- When
- The films span 1971 to 2024; the article describes the feature as appearing on Bachchan’s 84th birthday.
- Where
- Hindi cinema, in films including Anand, Chupke Chupke, Mohabbatein, Black, Piku and Kalki 2898 AD.
- Why
- The article highlights how Bachchan commanded attention and reinvented himself in varied supporting roles.
- Featured actor
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Number of performances
- Six
- Films covered
- Anand (1971), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mohabbatein (2000), Black (2005), Piku (2015) and Kalki 2898 AD (2024)
- Black character
- Debraj Sahai, a teacher who helps Michelle McNally communicate
- Award noted
- National Film Award for Best Actor for Black
- Kalki 2898 AD character
- Ashwatthama, a legendary warrior condemned to immortality