So total was his dominance on the Indian movie scene in the 1970s and 1980s that the French director Franois Truffaut called him a "one-man industry". Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema as well as world cinema. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Sadi ka Mahanayak (Hindi for, "Greatest actor of the century"), Star of the Millennium, or Big B, he has since appeared in over 190 Indian films in a career spanning almost five decades. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and was dubbed India's "angry young man" for his on-screen roles in Bollywood. Amitabh Bachchan 11 October 1942) is an Indian film actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician.