The Punjabi Christian- Amitabh Bachchan's Unsung Mentor

As October 11 marks the birthday of the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, this is my exclusive on Prof. Frank Thakur Das, the unsung mentor who inspired him to join the Drama Society at Kirori Mal College (KMC), Delhi University. A Punjabi Christian and Political Science professor, Frank Thakur Das was the guiding force behind the college's Drama Society, shaping the careers of luminaries like Amitabh Bachchan, Satish Kaushik, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Kabir Khan.

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Stepping into the sprawling campus of Kirori Mal College (KMC), Delhi University, one cannot miss the Frank Thakur Das Auditorium, a fitting tribute to a legendary teacher who was as passionate about theatre as he was about academics. Without his encouragement, a lanky B.Sc. student might never have stepped onto the stage, and the world might not have known Amitabh Bachchan, the icon who celebrates his birthday on October 11.

Amitabh Bachchan was a student at KMC from 1959 to 1962, a period when his father, the renowned Hindi scholar Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan, served as a Hindi Officer in the Ministry of External Affairs. For three years, Room No. 66 in the KMC hostel was Amitabh’s home. It was here that he crossed paths with Prof. Frank Thakur Das, a Punjabi Christian from Gurdaspur, whose influence would shape his destiny.