Amitabh Bachchan Turns 84: Bollywood Celebrates as Delhi HC Asks Big B to Appear in Person

Amitabh Bachchan turned 84 on Sunday, October 11, 2026, and Bollywood made sure the milestone did not pass quietly. Kajol, Chiranjeevi, Ajay Devgn, Suniel Shetty, Shatrughan Sinha, Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit were among the stars who flooded social media with birthday wishes for the megastar — even as the Delhi High Court directed him to appear in person if his long-running personality rights case is not settled by November 16.

It was a weekend of celebration and courtroom headlines for Indian cinema’s most enduring icon, whose career — from the Angry Young Man of Deewaar and Zanjeer to the beloved host of Kaun Banega Crorepati — has now spanned well over five decades.

Bollywood Showers Big B With Birthday Love

The tributes poured in through the day. Kajol, who shared the screen with Bachchan in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, posted a photograph with him on X and called him “our witty and uber cool natural phenomenon,” wishing him health and happiness always.

Suniel Shetty shared an old photograph and wrote that no matter how many times he meets the superstar, he still feels the same excitement he felt growing up watching him — every interaction, he said, leaves him with something to learn. Chiranjeevi addressed Bachchan as his “dearest Guru Ji,” praising the veteran’s commitment to cinema, his warmth and humility, and wishing him many more years of doing what he loves.

Madhuri Dixit marked the occasion in person, appearing on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18 as part of the birthday celebrations. She praised Bachchan’s warmth and grace, and his ability to make contestants feel completely at ease. Shatrughan Sinha, Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt added their own messages, celebrating a legacy that has shaped Indian cinema across generations.

The Delhi High Court Order: What It Actually Means

Two days before the birthday, on October 9, a Delhi High Court bench led by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav heard Bachchan’s personality rights case and issued a direction that made headlines of its own: if the settlement in the suit is not finalised by the next hearing on November 16, 2026, Bachchan himself must appear in person to pursue any remaining claims.

The case goes back to 2022, when Bachchan sued to protect his name, image and voice from unauthorised commercial exploitation — including lottery scams trading on his identity. The court granted him an ex parte injunction in November 2022 restraining third parties from misusing his personality.

At the latest hearing, the parties told the court that an amicable settlement had been reached with several defendants through mediation — but the documents could not be signed due to logistical difficulties on Bachchan’s side. His counsel sought more time, and the court granted it, with one clear condition: finish the settlement by November 16, or the 84-year-old megastar shows up in court himself.

A Promise 20 Years in the Making: The Babu Patti Library

The birthday week also rekindled an emotional story from Bachchan’s roots. On a recent KBC episode, a contestant from Patti tehsil in Uttar Pradesh prompted Bachchan to acknowledge his family’s connection to Babu Patti village — the birthplace of his father, the celebrated poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. He expressed regret over the family’s long absence from the village and promised to provide books for the village library.

The promise carries history. In 2006, his wife Jaya Bachchan visited Babu Patti, inaugurated a library built in Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s memory, and publicly promised books for it — even speaking of establishing a girls’ college in the village. Twenty years on, the actor’s renewed promise has drawn the attention of the local administration: the district magistrate visited the village and assured residents the library would be fully stocked with books before Diwali.

84 and Still the Face of Indian Cinema

What makes the 84th birthday resonate is not just the number but the continuity. From the brooding intensity of the 1970s to the gravitas of Black, Paa and Piku, and now the avuncular warmth of television’s biggest quiz show, Bachchan has reinvented himself for every generation of Indian audiences — including the millions in Pakistan who grew up on his films.

Part of that longevity is how he has stayed visible without fading into nostalgia. His daily blog and social media posts — reflections, set anecdotes, notes to fans — have kept him in direct conversation with the public for years, something few stars of his era have managed. The 2022 personality rights suit itself was born of that visibility: when your name and voice are valuable enough to be hijacked by lottery scammers, you fight to keep them yours. The November 16 hearing will decide whether that fight ends in a signed settlement — or with the megastar walking into a Delhi courtroom in person.

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Last updated: October 12, 2026