Amitabh Bachchan Reveals Father Rejected Casteism, Declared ‘Our Caste is Bachchan’!

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan recently shared a touching anecdote about his father, renowned Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and the origin of their famous surname. Speaking on Kaun Banega Crorepati, Big B recalled his admission to St. Mary’s Convent School in Allahabad (now Prayagraj).

The school form required filling the caste column. “My father was against the caste system right from his childhood; he disliked it completely and never accepted it,” Amitabh said. For the first time, Harivansh Rai declared, “Our caste is Bachchan,” and filled the form accordingly, making the full name Amitabh Bachchan. Born into the Srivastava family, the poet had already begun using ‘Bachchan’ (a term of endearment from his mother) as his pen name to reject caste-based identity. This progressive step permanently gave the family its iconic surname and reflected a lifelong opposition to caste divisions.