The acting icon, who also made his Hollywood debut in 'The Great Gatsby,' will receive the government's Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his stellar 50-year career.
Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan will be honored with India's highest film honor, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
The announcement was made Tuesday by India's Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar in a tweet stating, "The legend Amitabh Bachchan, who entertained and inspired for two generations, has been selected unanimously for Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The entire country and international community is happy. My heartiest congratulations to him."
The award is named after Dadasaheb Phalke who directed India's first film, Raja Harischandra, in 1913.
"There is a paucity of words searching a response.. for the generosity of words that pour in ..I am but deeply grateful and most humbled .. my sincerest gratitude," Bachchan tweeted as social media erupted with congratulatory messages for the star.
Bachchan, 76, marks his 50th year in cinema this year, following his 1969 debut in Saat Hindustani. His filmography spans over 200 films and in the seventies and eighties Bachchan was at his peak, portraying the "angry young man" in some of Indian cinema's biggest hits such as Zanjeer, Deewar and Sholay, among others.
His dominance over the Indian box office at the time led French director Francois Traffaut to hail Bachchan as a "one man industry".
In 2000 Bachchan made television history when he hosted the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire which set ratings records. He still continues to host the show in its eleventh season which airs on Sony Entertainment Television.
Bachchan also made his Hollywood debut in 2013 in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Bachchan recently starred in the Bollywood thriller Badla, an official remake of Spanish film The Invisible Guest.
Among his numerous honors, Bachchan was also conferred with France's highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2007.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award will be presented to Bachchan in the capital New Delhi as part of the National Film Awards which will be given by India's President Ram Nath Kovind. A date is yet to be announced.
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