Amitabh Bachchan says he is 'half-Sardar', maternal aunts call him Amitabh Singh

Actor Amitabh Bachchan is uncomfortable with the term "inter-caste" for marriages between different religions. He reflects on his parents' diverse backgrounds and being a 'half-Sardar'.

In Short

• Amitabh Bachchan's mother Teji Bachchan belonged to a Sikh family
• His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, never used a surname, only a pen name
• Amitabh Bachchan's aunts still referred to him as Amitabh Singh

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is not comfortable calling marriage between people from different religions "inter-caste." Referring to his parents, Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan, the actor noted that while his father was from Uttar Pradesh, his mother belonged to a Sikh family.

Talking to KBC 16 contestant Kriti, Amitabh said, "It is awkward to say 'inter-caste' marriage," as she mentioned that she had a love inter-caste marriage. The 81-year-old actor added, "My father was from Uttar Pradesh, and my mother was from a Sikh family. I believe I am half-Sardar. My father always used to say he doesn't believe in this. He never kept his surname; he used a pen name. Bachchan is a pen name."

The actor mentioned that his father faced opposition from many, and his maternal aunts would always address him as "Amitabh Singh." "When I was born, my masis (maternal aunts) would say, ‘Kinna sona putar hai, sadda Amitabh Singh (What a beautiful son, our Amitabh Singh),'" shared Amitabh.

Amitabh Bachchan's father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a renowned poet and part of the Nayi Kavita movement, best known for his classic poem Madhushala and awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976. His mother, Teji Bachchan, a social activist from a Sikh family, met Harivansh at a college event and later starred as Lady Macbeth in his adaptation of Shakespeare's play.

Amitabh Bachchan is married to actor Jaya Bhaduri (now Bachchan), a Bengali Brahmin. The two also faced difficulty as they belonged to different religions. The Bengali priest at their wedding objected to the union of a Bengali Brahmin (Jaya) and a non-Bengali non-Brahmin (Amitabh). Still, the couple got married on June 3, 1973, and are parents to Abhishek Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan.

On the same episode of KBC 16, Amitabh Bachchan also expressed his dislike for the subject of maths in school. He revealed that he once scored only 42 marks in his maths exam.