‘His First Release in Bombay was ‘Anand’, Not ‘Saat Hindustani” — SMM Ausaja, Author of THE BACHCHANS

Portraits of Amitabh: (L and R) Photos by Gautam Rajyadhaksha and (middle) a still from Major Saab (1998)

The Bachchans have long captivated the Indian public’s imagination. Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s towering literary legacy laid the foundation for the family’s cultural impact. His son Amitabh Bachchan’s commanding presence in cinema, Jaya Bachchan’s multifaceted career, Abhishek Bachchan’s versatile performances, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s global appeal have kept the family in the spotlight for decades. Their influence extends beyond film, touching politics, literature, business, and social causes, fueling an insatiable curiosity about their personal and professional lives.

Renowned film historian and archivist, SMM Ausaja, has penned a groundbreaking book titled THE BACHCHANS: A Saga of Excellence published by OM Books International. This comprehensive work delves into the lives and legacies of the illustrious Bachchan family, icons of Indian cinema.

Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan with their sons Amitabh and Ajitabh, their daughters-in-law Jaya and Ramola and grandchildren in 1976

In a conversation with Silhouette, Ausaja shares fascinating insights into his research process, the challenges he faced, and the unique perspective he brings as a lifelong collector of Bollywood memorabilia. This writer, over the last ten years, has been a witness to Ausaja’s relentless zeal to research, unearth, curate and preserve India’s film heritage and his schoolboy-like joy when he discovers a piece of rarest of rare archival material. That undying passion and his unabashed fandom for Amitabh Bachchan has led Ausaja to create an album-like tome which is a collector’s delight.

From rare archival finds to navigating the family’s private nature, Ausaja’s journey in creating THE BACHCHANS offers readers an unprecedented look into one of India’s most celebrated families. The elegantly designed coffee-table book, a treasure trove of information and visuals, promises to satiate the enduring fascination with the Bachchans, offering readers an up close and personal look into one of India’s most celebrated and enigmatic families. Excerpts from the conversation:

Amitabh Bachchan and SMM Ausaja at the launch of THE BACHCHANS at the Bachchan compound

Antara: The Bachchans has been hailed as a landmark book on the illustrious Bachchan family. How did you come up with the idea for this project, and what was your initial vision for it? How did the concept evolve from its initial idea to the final book?

Ausaja: It started off as an idea to do a pictorial book on Amitabh Bachchan. My wife Mona had shot the first email to the publishers about this. But then, Mrs Jaya Bachchan published an official book on a similar theme on Amitabh’s 60th birthday. Thereafter, my publisher Ajay Mago suggested I do the first book on the family. It made sense, and I took it up as a challenge, though it appeared very difficult from the point of view of research, particularly archival visuals.

Antara: Your research on Amitabh Bachchan is known to be extensive. Can you walk us through the research process for the book?

Ausaja: Having collected Amitabh’s memorabilia since my school days at MHS Kanpur, I had amassed a formidable archive which eased my task on the subject. However, getting authentic information on Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan, of Jaya ji’s early years, on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s pre-marriage journey was an uphill task.

I asked Amit ji if I could refer to Rupert Snell’s translation of Dr Bachchan’s autobiography, and he replied in the negative! He suggested I read the Hindi four comprehensive volumes. This really helped me with not just information on the family in general but also to understand their ethos, ideology, culture … so many things.

Amitabh Bachchan with his parents Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan in 1943

Antara: What were some of the key sources you relied on, and how did you ensure the accuracy of the information, especially when dealing with such a well-documented public figure like Amitabh Bachchan? Were there any surprising discoveries along the way?

The Bachchans: A Saga of Excellence

Ausaja: To understand the Bachchans, no source is half as credible as Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s four-part autobiography. Ajitabh Bachchan was also kind enough to help. Additionally, I relied on old interviews in the press, people who have known the family well, like Rakesh Kumar, Prayag Raaj, Sheetal Jain, Deepak Sawant, Pankaj Parashar, Nidhi Tuli, Juhi Sonie Babbar, Rajesh Sethi, Gautam Rajadhyaksha (who opened his awesome archive of the finest Amitabh family stills).

Many discoveries were made along the way, for example, his first release in Bombay was Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand, and not Saat Hindustani, the first film he signed. Even Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome can be considered his first film assignment, where he gave the voice-over. For more such nuggets, over to the book!

Antara: The book covers multiple generations of the Bachchan family. Given the Bachchan family’s stature in Indian cinema and society, the responsibility of portraying their lives accurately and sensitively is a challenge. How did you balance the narrative between different family members while maintaining a cohesive story? 

Ausaja: I have deliberately gone linear in the narrative. And along the way have added the family members as they entered the family. It appeared to be the safest way to navigate! This is a book celebrating their craft, so there is no room for any gossip or personal sides. Yes, it was a responsibility, and I guess I delivered to the best of my ability and knowledge.

(L to R) A Star & Style photo of Amitabh and Jaya (1979), rare poster of Mili and Amitabh and Jaya in a 1973 photo session (Abhimaan released this year)

Antara: Your personal collection of Bollywood memorabilia is one of the most extensive in the country, comprising memorabilia even the family may not have. 🙂 You have held several highly successful exhibitions on Amitabh Bachchan. How did your collection influence the visual and textual narrative of the book? What were some of the most significant archival finds or previously unseen materials you were able to include?

Ausaja: I collected Amitabh memorabilia with a missionary zeal since my school days. It started with stray postcards, magazines and scrapbooks — a glimpse is there in my introduction to the book. So yes, the collection leveraged the visuals to a large extent. Just the way it did in my three famous exhibitions on Amitabh Bachchan viz. on his 70^th, 75^th and 80^th birthdays giving me an honour to be the only individual in the country to curate three grand shows on the superstar, all with his blessings and support.

There are several archival gems – you will see a rare photo of Amitabh with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, a photo of Mrs Teji Bachchan as a college girl in Lahore… and many more…

1990 Bachchan family portrait shot by Ashok Mehta — Amitabh and Jaya with their children Shweta and Abhishek

Antara: What were the major challenges or obstacles you encountered while developing the book—whether it was gathering material, accessing certain archives, or even balancing the vast scope of Amitabh Bachchan’s career? How did you overcome them?

Ausaja: I have tried to include all aspects of their respective careers, so I have included all films – the gems as well as the turkeys. Getting to Jaya ji’s student films at FTII was difficult, especially the visuals but I managed that. Then, you will see visuals of the first two films for which Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan wrote the lyrics. As I stated before, it was easy to do archival research since I had already amassed the archive. However, going through reams and reams of magazines and journals was very tough.

Amitabh and Jaya giving birthday greetings to Sanjeev Kumar at Hotel Sun n Sand

Antara: The impressive layout and visual elements of The Bachchans play a significant role in its storytelling. How did you collaborate with designers on the book’s layout, and what were some of the guiding principles behind the selection and presentation of the images to ensure the visual elements complemented the text effectively? And what should be highlighted, which photo can be downplayed – were those part of the layout planning?

Ausaja: I was fortunate publisher Ajay Mago gave me a team of professionals. He is fully creditable for the book’s classy packaging. Under the watchful eye of editor Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri and designer Sheena, it went smoothly. I am grateful to the Bachchans and film fraternity members and colleagues who supported this project and to you, Antara, for your research inputs.

There were many grainy newspaper scans, especially on pages of Amitabh’s political entry, his famous accident and the release of Shahenshah. Initially we thought they would look poor visually, but then I felt it’s important that they go as a collage so that the reader understands the extent of media coverage the events garnered.

(Clockwise L to R) Cover of Sunday Magazine 6th September 1992, Amitabh Bachchan addressing a political meeting during 1984 elections, Eid message issued by Manmohan Desai (1976) one year before the release of Amar Akbar Anthony and LP cover of Suhaag

Antara: Were there any parts of his journey that were particularly challenging to encapsulate? Did you have any direct interactions with the Bachchan family during the creation of this book? If so, how did their input shape the final product?

Ausaja: Having studied the illustrious career closely since decades, I was very clear what I want to highlight. It was knowledge of the subject that dictated the content, both visual and textual.

Most challenging phases were his struggle days, the lean period in late 80s, the disastrous return to screen with Mrityudaata when critics were having a ball at his expense  — all such phases were very challenging as the media bias during those days was very exaggerated, a classic example being the opening weekend of Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan (the film released when Amitabh was being written off at the box office almost universally). The collections of Amitabh’s film at the actor’s lowest ebb professionally were MORE than Shah Rukh Khan’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai! Both films released on the same day!

I haven’t taken Bachchan family inputs directly as I was conscious the book shouldn’t become a family perspective book. I feel they have spoken to the press on almost all their work and its public — therefore it would have been a repetition if I get similar inputs. So the perspective is mine, and there are quotes and review excerpts across the book giving a variety of perspectives on various films. The family inputs were taken mostly from the press, wherever required.

Chronicling significant moments of the Bachchan’s – the near fatal accident and recovery 1982

Antara: The Bachchan family has been known to be very private. What kind of support or input did you receive from them during the creation of the book? How involved were they in shaping its final form?

Ausaja: It’s understandable why they are private. I have known the family since long and it was a huge responsibility. Whenever I needed any clarification on any issue, I would ask Amit ji or Jaya ji. They appreciate my work. Amit ji not only released my debut book Bollywood in Posters at IIFA but also wrote its Foreword.

Then again for my next book which I co-authored (Bollywood: The Films, The Songs, The Stars) he penned the Foreword and released the book.

For The Bachchans he allowed his compound as a venue for the launch, perhaps the first book to be launched there! Thereafter he not only tweeted, but also sent me a personal note. And it speaks volumes on his trust that he released the final book without reading it — he had only seen the dummy earlier and had written about it in his blog. This kind of trust is the ultimate support in my opinion.

Precious family time on the sets: (L to R) With Shweta on the sets of Adalat (1975), with Shweta and Abhishek on the sets of Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and with Jaya and the children in Goa on the sets of Pukar (1983)

Antara: Promoting a book of this scale requires collaboration from multiple fronts. How has the Bachchan family, especially Amitabh Bachchan, helped in spreading the word about the book? What was their reaction upon seeing the final product?

Ausaja: The cover photograph was given by Amit ji. The book released at his premises, and his tweet thereafter helped the book tremendously. Abhishek also shared the book launch on social media. The family was obviously happy, Jaya ji sent me a message about the book and praised my work. Thereafter, Om Books International decided the marketing and promotion.

(Clockwise L to R) Life 90 concert with Javed Akhtar and Raj Babbar, with Yash Chopra and Ramesh Sippy at a function in 2001, Amitabh and Jaya at Sanjay Gandhi wedding with Mohammad Yunus on 23rd September 1974

Antara: Looking back on the entire journey from concept to publication, what aspect of THE BACHCHANS are you most proud of, and how do you think it contributes to the larger narrative of Indian cinema and the legacy of the Bachchan family?

Ausaja: I am happy with the praise the book is getting for its content and presentation/packaging. I am satisfied to present a seminal work on the family, the first of its kind in the country. It should become a reference point for generations wanting to understand why the Bachchans matter so much in the Indian film fraternity.

(Clockwise from L to R) Photographs of the family in double spreads, Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati with writer RD Tailang, Amitabh Bachchan with Leonardo Di Caprio, Robert De Niro and British PM David Cameron (2013), a family photo

All pictures used in the article are with permission from SMM Ausaja Archives

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