Harivansh Rai Bachchan (27 November 1907 – 18 January 2003) was an Indian poet and writer of the Nayi Kavita literary movement 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 Hindi literature.

Bachchan was born in Babupatti in a Kayastha family. His family name was Srivastav. He began using the pen name “Bachchan” for his Hindi poetry. From 1941 to 1957, he taught in the English Department at the Allahabad University and then spent the next two years at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, completing a PhD on W. B. Yeats.

Personal life-

Bachchan married Shyama in 1926 who died of tuberculosis in 1936. In 1941, he married Teji Suri. Their elder son Amitabh Bachchan was born on 11 October 1942, followed by their younger son, Ajitabh, on 18 May 1947. He had used the pen name Bachchan, under which he published all of his works.

Important works –

Madhushala (मधुशाला) (1935)

Madhubala (मधुबाला) (1936)

Madhukalash (मधुकलश) (1937)

Nisha Nimantran (निशा निमंत्रण) (1938)

Death-
Bacchan died on 18 January 2003 (aged 95) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Birth Chart of Harivansh Rai Bachchan-