Kamal Haasan and Imtiaz Ali salute Amitabh Bachchan on his 84th birthday

Amitabh Bachchan turned 84 on Sunday, October 11, and two big names from Indian cinema marked the day by praising the voice and presence that made him one of the country's most recognised stars.

Kamal Haasan posted his wish on social media. He picked out the Bollywood icon's deep baritone, his dramatic pauses and his raised eyebrow. "Amit Ji can make even a simple 'Deviyon aur Sajjano' sound like a blockbuster opening," the veteran actor wrote, before signing off with "Happy Birthday, Angry Young Man!"

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali made it more personal. "There is nobody like Amitabh Bachchan and there never will be," he said, adding that he counts himself as someone born in the Bachchan era.

The 55-year-old director of Jab We Met, Rockstar and Tamasha admitted he once thought he would never get to work with the star. That changed after he directed Bachchan in an advertisement film. "I can work with this gentleman, and I would love to, like any director," Ali said. He hopes they will make a film together someday.

Ali spoke on the sidelines of Celebrate Cinema '26, the yearly festival at Whistling Woods International, where he took part in a session on his recent film Main Wapas Aaunga.