On Gurpurab today, it’s the perfect moment to recall a lesser-known aspect of one of India’s most beloved stars – Amitabh Bachchan.
As we celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, take a look at the actor’s cultural legacy with a throwback to the time he revealed he is half-Sikh, tracing his maternal roots to a Sikh family from Punjab.
“I believe I am half-Sardar…”
In an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16, the star opened up about his parents’ marriage, sharing how he finds the label “inter-caste” uncomfortable when describing their union. While speaking to contestant Kirti, he said, “I find it a little awkward to call it inter-caste. My father was from Uttar Pradesh, and my mother was from a Sikh family. I believe I am half-Sardar. When I was born, my masis (maternal aunts) would say, ‘Kinna sona putar hai, sadda Amitabh Singh (What a beautiful son, our Amitabh Singh).'”
The actor has often reflected fondly on his Sikh heritage. On a past Gurpurab, he took to Facebook to remember his early years in Allahabad and his mother’s devotion. He wrote, “Those early years in Allahabad, when Ma recited and sang the eternal pious and divine words of the Gurbani, in my ears… ‘tati vaar na jaavaee…’ My Mother as you know, a Sikh, Teji Kaur Suri, my grandfather Sardar Khazan Singh Suri, my Grandmother a Sodi, and whose family, her brothers and my Mother’s Mama’s were the Prabandhaks of the Anantpur Sahib Gurudwara…”
Amitabh’s recollections highlight how deeply his mother’s Sikh faith shaped his early years. Her melodious renditions of Gurbani, especially during Gurpurab celebrations, remained etched in his memory.
About Amitabh’s parents
Amitabh’s father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a renowned Hindi poet and writer, celebrated for his timeless work Madhushala. A prominent voice in the Nayi Kavita literary movement, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1976. Born in Babupatti, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in British India, his family name was Srivastav, though he adopted “Bachchan” as his pen name.
His mother, Teji Bachchan (née Teji Kaur Suri), came from a Sikh family in Lyallpur, Punjab (now in Pakistan). A social activist and theatre enthusiast, Teji met Harivansh at a college event in Lahore, and the two married in Allahabad in 1941.
Harivansh and Teji Bachchan went on to raise two sons, Amitabh and Ajitabh. Interestingly, Amitabh’s own marriage mirrored his parents’ – a union that crossed regional lines. He married actor Jaya Bhaduri, who came from a Bengali family, in 1973, a decision that even surprised their families.