Harivansh Rai Bachchan

Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Bachchan on a 2003 stamp of India
BornHarivansh Rai Srivastava
(1907-11-27)27 November 1907
Babupatti, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
Died18 January 2003(2003-01-18) (aged 95)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Pen nameBachchan
Occupation
  • Poet
  • writer
LanguageAwadhi and Hindi
Alma materAllahabad University (B.A)
St Catharine's College, Cambridge (PhD)
Notable awardsPadma Bhushan (1976)
Spouse
  • Shyama Bachchan
    (m. 1926; died 1936)

    (m. 1941)
Children2 (including Amitabh Bachchan)
RelativesBachchan family
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
3 April 1966  2 April 1972
ConstituencyNominated
Signature

Harivansh Rai Bachchan ( Srivastava; 27 November 1907 18 January 2003) was an Indian poet and writer of the Nayi Kavita literary movement (romantic upsurge) of early 20th century Hindi literature. He was also a poet of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. He is best known for his early work Madhushala. He was the father of Amitabh Bachchan, and grandfather of Shweta Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. His wife Teji Bachchan was a social activist. In 1976, he received the Padma Bhushan for his service to Hindi literature.