Amitabh Bachchan at 84: Kalki 2, Brahmastra 2 and a career that won’t stop

Most actors slow down long before their eighties. Amitabh Bachchan has done the opposite. He turned 84 on 11 October 2026 in the middle of hosting the 18th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, with two major film sequels in his diary. Here is what he is working on, and what keeps him going.

Kaun Banega Crorepati 18

The new season of KBC premiered on 10 August 2026 on Sony Entertainment Television, with the theme “Sochna Padega” (“You’ll have to think”). Bachchan has hosted the quiz show since it began in 2000, except for one season, and it remains one of the most-watched programmes on Indian television.

His birthday episode in October, with messages from family and colleagues, was one of the season’s highlights.

A short break for health

On 21 October 2026 Bachchan told fans that doctors had advised him to rest and that he would stay away from social media for a while. He did not share details. Bachchan has spoken openly about health problems over the years — including a near-fatal injury in 1982 and a liver condition linked to a blood transfusion — and fans across India wished him a quick recovery.

Kalki 2

In Nag Ashwin’s science-fiction epic Kalki 2898 AD (2024), Bachchan played Ashwatthama, the immortal warrior from the Mahabharata. The film, starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Kamal Haasan, was one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2024, and Bachchan’s performance was widely praised.

Work on the sequel is under way. In early 2026 Bachchan shot scenes with Kamal Haasan in Hyderabad. A release date has not been officially announced.

Brahmastra Part Two: Dev

Bachchan played Guru, the mentor of a secret society, in Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (2022), starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The second part, Brahmastra Part Two: Dev, is in development. Details about the cast and dates are still awaited.

Other projects

Bachchan continues to appear in advertising campaigns and occasionally in regional and smaller films. He keeps a blog that he has updated almost daily since 2008, and he has a large following on X and Instagram.

How he keeps going

Bachchan has explained his work ethic in many interviews:

• Discipline. He is known for arriving early on set and preparing his lines carefully.
• Fear of standing still. He has said he still feels nervous before a new role and that this keeps him alert.
• Respect for change. He has worked with directors from several generations, from Hrishikesh Mukherjee in the 1970s to Nag Ashwin today.

A career in numbers

• More than 200 films since his debut in Saat Hindustani (1969).
• Four National Film Awards for Best Actor — for Agneepath, Black, Paa and Piku — a record for a male actor.
• The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest film honour, for 2018.
• The Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

The family

Bachchan is married to actor and politician Jaya Bachchan, and his son Abhishek is also an actor. His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was one of the best-known Hindi poets of the 20th century; Bachchan often recites his father’s poetry on KBC and at public events.

Why he matters

At 84, Bachchan is still one of the busiest people in Indian entertainment. For millions of viewers he is not only a film legend but the familiar voice that asks, every week, whether a contestant is sure of their answer — and that, perhaps, is why audiences never seem ready to let him retire.