4 minutes of readingChennaiFebruary 7, 2026 07:05 pm IST
Amitabh Bachchan The legacy in the Hindi film industry is unmatched, which is why he is often called the Shehenshah of Bollywood. However, there was a time when a high-profile foreign journalist called the actor a “third-rate actor.” While the comment about him personally did not insult Big B, it was the journalist calling India a “third world country” that really angered him. The actor remembers the insult as a defiant message to India’s critics after the country achieved victory in the U19 World Cup.
Recently, Amitabh shared this personal incident while congratulating the young Indian cricket team for winning the U19 Cricket World Cup for the sixth time. The actor remembers an episode from the past in which he was congratulated in a foreign country and followed by a sea of fans everywhere.
He wrote: “I was invited to a country (I won’t reveal the name) for a film festival they were holding… and I agreed to go… on the plane I saw their newspaper, which had a photo of one of my films… without understanding the language I asked the flight attendant what was written… she said it is a poster for an Indian movie and the newspaper says that their actor is coming to the country.”
Amitabh shared that fans started gathering at the airport just to see him, and the crowd grew to such an extent that his immigration had to take place at the hotel. “Amazed at how and why this foreign country could be so in love with our movies, upon landing I discovered why… people started gathering, they were having trouble getting from the plane to the immigration counter… but the crowd kept gathering around, making it difficult for me to even walk… the situation became so chaotic that the police came, pulled me out of the crowd, took me out of the airport, put me in a car and accompanied me to my hotel. In my entire life, for the first time, “My immigration was done inside a hotel,” he said.
However, Amitabh’s supporters did not sit well with a senior journalist in that country, who insulted the actor in an article. While the comment about him didn’t bother Big B that much, the insult directed at India hurt him deeply. He shared: “Subsequently, every time I went out for an event or a tourist trip, large crowds would gather. Policemen, bodyguards and police patrols followed me for protection. This was apparently not very acceptable for a senior journalist in the country, and it brought out a headline in the newspaper the next day… which read: WHY IS SO MUCH ATTENTION BEING GIVEN TO THIS THIRD RATE ACTOR FROM A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY…!”
He added: “The third-rate actor’s part was correct and I accepted it… but the fact that India was called Third World was painful… hence the above… which I repeat here for convenience. U19 Cricket INDIA… WORLD CHAMPIONS! (Beat the enemy)!!
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India’s victory in the U-19 World Cup
India beat England by 100 runs to win the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup final at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Friday, clinching a record sixth Under-19 World Cup crown. India’s victory in the final came on the back of a tremendous batting effort led by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, under the guidance of captain Ayush Mhatre. India made 411 for 9 wickets, and England’s bowlers were struggling to find answers.