Amitabh Bachchan recently shared a personal story on his blog that goes back decades. Following the Indian U19 cricket team’s World Cup victory in February 2026, the actor took a moment to look back at how much the world’s perception of India has changed. He recalled a specific trip to a foreign country where he was treated with a mix of fan frenzy and media scorn.
The memory was triggered by his pride in seeing the Indian team defeat England by 100 runs. Watching the young players lift the trophy made him think about a time when India was not viewed as a global champion.
He wrote about an invitation he once accepted to attend a film festival abroad. On the flight over, he noticed his face in a local newspaper but couldn’t read the text. A flight attendant explained that it was an article announcing his arrival, a detail that foreshadowed the chaos waiting for him on the ground.
A chaotic experience at the airport
When the plane landed, the situation at the airport was much more chaotic than the local officials had anticipated. A huge crowd of fans had filled the terminal, making it impossible for anyone to reach the immigration desks. People were pushing forward just to get a look at him, and the area became so packed that he couldn’t walk through the building.
It became impossible for him to walk through the terminal, so the local police had to intervene. They eventually had to escort him out of the crowd and take him directly to a waiting car.
This security issue led to a rare exception in travel protocol. Because the terminal was unsafe, officials decided to process his passport and immigration papers inside his hotel room. He noted in his blog that this was the first time in his life such a thing had happened. The excitement from the public was overwhelming, but the local media did not share the same enthusiasm.
The newspaper insult
The next morning, the actor woke up to a harsh headline. A senior journalist in that country was reportedly annoyed by the disruption and the special treatment given to an actor. He published a piece with the headline: “WHY IS SO MUCH ATTENTION BEING GIVEN TO THIS 3RD RATE ACTOR FROM A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY .. !”
Bachchan admitted that he didn’t mind being called a “3rd rate actor,” accepting it as a valid opinion on his work. But the label “3rd world country” stayed with him. He explained that the dismissal of his nation was painful to read.
Decades later, he used this story to make a point about the U19 cricket win. He stated that these victories prove India is no longer a “3rd World” nation but a “First World” power. For him, the success of the cricket team was the perfect answer to the disrespect he witnessed all those years ago.