8 Big B Movie Quotes Every Entrepreneur Should Follow From feeling excited to philosophical to poignant, dialogues from Bachchan's films allow the listener to experience the full breadth of the human condition. The veteran actor turns 80 years old today

Eight years prior to India gaining independence from British colonial rule, Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and social activist Teji Bachchan welcomed a baby boy, who would go on to become one of the most influential actors in the history of Hindi cinema, earning many a moniker such as Big B, Shahenshah of Bollywood and Sadi ka Mahanayak. Today, he turns 80 years old.

In his long career, Amitabh Bachchan has starred in many commercially successful and critically acclaimed films, rendering several well-written dialogues unforgettably etched in his signature deep voice in the audience's memory.

From feeling excited to philosophical to poignant, these lines allow the listener to experience the full breadth of the human condition. Curated below is a list of some rather memorable lines from the actor's films, which are sure to inspire and guide the entrepreneurs among you.

'Parampara, pratishtha, anushasan'

Mohabbatein (2000)

Honour, tradition and discipline are the sacred tenets that Narayan (Bachhan) lives by and also imposes on the students of Gurukul as its school principal. Although much of the film centres around softening the stoic task-master's attitudes on fun and romance, his emphasis on hard work and dedication is not without merit.

As many an entreprenueur has said, to achieve success, one needs to put in the work with a focussed mindset. "In business, first of all, you need commitment, dedication and passion for what you are doing," concurs Indian-born British steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who is the executive chairman of ArcelorMittal.

'Don zakhmi hai toh kya...phir bhi Don hai'

Don (1978)

The entrepreneurial journey is not without its ups and downs—often more downs than ups. The key to surviving difficult periods, such as the current funding winter, is to acknowledge past mistakes (for instance, cash burn) and remedy them (i.e. extend runways) without altogether losing conviction in oneself due to feaf of failure.

If the silver screen's most famous criminal mastermind, Don (played by Bachhan), is too unrealistic a guide for you, look to Kunal Shah, the founder of CRED, the second-fastest-growing unicorn startup in India. "If you fully accept the worst that can ever happen in your journey, fear won't ever be an obstacle in starting-up," he offers as his sage advice.

'Sahi baat ko sahi waqt pe kiya jaye to uska maza hi kuch aur hai, aur main sahi waqt ka intezaar karta hoon'

Trishul (1978)

Timing, as it happens, is a key ingredient to success in business and not just in love, regardless of how strongly romantic comedies have argued in the latter's favor. As Vijay (Bachhan) suggests in the popular 70s action drama, it is important to wait for the right time before throwing in your hat to capitalise on an opportunity. In other words, strike the iron when it's hot, not before or after. In yet other words, "Patience; this is the greatest business asset. Wait for the right time to make your moves." Better heed the words of American oil tycoon J. Paul Getty.

'Is duniya mein tarakki karne ke liye...na bolna bahut zaroori hai'

Agneepath (1990)

There isn't as much dearth of business opportunities today as there is of the right one. In an age of 'decluttering' (from closets to laptops to the environment), it is imperitive to screen ideas and say 'no' to bad ones in order to reorient all your energy towards the 'right' opportunity.

"People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are," said Steve Jobs, the iconic co-founder of Apple, in the late 90s. Listen to Jobs; stay foccussed and learn to say 'no' to less-than great ideas as well as distractions!

'Zindagi aur shatranj mein yahi toh farak hai, zindagi mein doosra mauka milta nahi, yahan shatranj mein mil jaata hai'

Wazir (2016)

On the question of opportunity, while it is important to be patiently focussed in general, victory belongs to those alone who don't let great chances slip by because more often that not they come but once in a lifetime. Case in point: In 1992, Bharti Enterprises founder Sunil Mittal struck a deal with French telecom group Vivendi to successfully bid for one of the four mobile phone network licenses auctioned in India.

Being one of the first Indian entrepreneurs to identify the mobile telecom business as a major growth area, he built Airtel into one of India's biggest multi national comapnies. "Sometimes there is no next time, no time-outs, no second chances. Sometimes it's now or never," believes Alan Bennett, who is known for his distinguished entertainment career in English cinema.

'Partner ab bol hi diye ho toh dekh lenge'

Sholay (1975)

The business world is decked with many an example of partnership—Bill Gates and Paul Allen; Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak; Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard; and so on—such that some of them have endured the test of time and some turned notoriously sour. Michael Eisner, former CEO, The Walt Disney Company, is known to have once said, "It is rare to find a business partner who is selfless. If you are lucky, it happens once in a lifetime."

"Dushman se agar fayda ho...toh usko apna dost banalo'

Agneepath (1990)

In a ruthless world of ever-shifting business alliances, while faithful friends are invaluable, even bitter rivals can come in handy, as attested to by the over 250 acquisitions that took place last year as per an Entrackr report.

"This is quite a game, politics. There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests," says William Clay, executive chairman Ford Motor Company. In other words, don't kill your competition out of envy, rather partner with it!

'Paisa toh har koi kama leta hai...lekin izzat kamana sabke bas ki baat nahi'

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)

Billionaire businessman Yashvardhan Raichand (Bachhan) lays down the benchmark of a great man before his son and heir soon after the film begins: strive to earn respect; it's much harder than earning money. Ironically, it is a lesson whose true meaning dawns on him bit by bit over the course of the remaining film as the family patriarch learns to shed his classist, misogynistic and dictatorial attitudes. While the film released over two decades ago, it is this particular message that has aged like fine wine.

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently," said American business magnate Warren Buffet once. As of October 2022, Buffet's net worth is $95 billion, making him the world's sixth-wealthiest person.