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Harivansh Rai Bachchan Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth27 November 1909

Age95 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceBabupatti, Raniganj, Pratapgrah, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India

ProfessionPoet

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried (at the time of death)

SpouseFirst wife: Shyama Bachchan; Second wife: Teji Bachchan

FamilyFather: Pratap Narayan Shrivastav; Mother: Saraswati Devi; Sons: Amitabh Bachchan, Ajitabh Bachchan; Grandchildren: Abhishek Bachchan, Shweta Bachchan Nanda

Harivansh Rai Bachchan Biography

Harivansh Rai Bachchan (born Harivansh Rai Srivastava) was a celebrated Hindi poet, academic and memoirist known for works such as Madhushala and a four‑vo

Early life and background

Harivansh Rai Srivastava was born on 27 November 1909 in Babupatti, Raniganj, in the Pratapgrah region of what was then the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in British India. He grew up in a Kayastha family as the eldest son of Pratap Narayan Shrivastav and Saraswati Devi. His parents affectionately called him "Bachchan," a nickname he later adopted as his surname while studying at St Catharine's College, Cambridge.

He attended a Kayastha paathshaala and a municipal school in his youth before moving on to higher studies. Bachchan studied at Banaras Hindu University and Allahabad University. He later went to St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he completed a Ph.D., becoming one of the earliest Indians to earn a doctorate from Cambridge.

Career

Bachchan's professional life combined scholarship, teaching and a lifelong commitment to Hindi literature. He taught in the English Department at Allahabad University for a period before taking up work at All India Radio in Allahabad. In the mid‑1950s he was appointed an officer on special duty by the External Affairs Ministry in Delhi, a post he held for about a decade. In 1966 he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

As a poet and translator, Bachchan played an active role in promoting Hindi. He translated major Shakespeare plays, including Macbeth and Othello, into Hindi. His literary output included lyric poems, couplets and autobiographical volumes. Among his best‑known poems is Madhushala, a long ballad whose musical rendering found wide popularity. Several of his couplets and verses were later set to music and incorporated into Indian films.

His four‑volume autobiography — written across multiple books — brought him significant recognition and was honoured with the Saraswati Samman in 1991. Earlier, the Sahitya Akademi Award had been conferred on him in 1968, and in 1976 he received the Padma Bhushan in recognition of his contributions to literature.

Public profile

Bachchan moved comfortably between literary and public spheres. He was friends with leading Hindi poets of his era, including Sumitranandan Pant and Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. His poems and couplets reached new audiences through film: the Holi song "Rang Barse" and verses used in films such as Silsila and Agnipath were associated with his work, and the musical rendition of Madhushala was popularized by singers like Manna Dey. His couplets were also featured in later films, keeping his lines in public memory.

He described himself in simple, self‑deprecating terms that captured his poetic sensibility and earthy humour. In public life he was an advocate for the Hindi language and involved in efforts around its evolution and official usage.

Family and personal life

Bachchan married twice. His first marriage, in 1926, was to Shyama; she died in 1936 after a prolonged illness. He later married Teji Bachchan. His elder son, Amitabh Bachchan, became a prominent film actor; his younger son is Ajitabh Bachchan. His extended family includes grandchildren who have carried on public lives in film and other fields.

Later years and legacy

Recognition for Bachchan's work continued throughout his life. He received major literary honours and enjoyed high visibility in cultural circles. In 2003 he died in Mumbai on 18 January after chronic respiratory ailments; he was 95. His funeral in Juhu drew a wide range of attendees from politics, film and public life, and his elder son Amitabh Bachchan lit the funeral pyre. International recognition of his stature includes a square and a statue named for him in Wroclaw, Poland, a UNESCO City of Literature.

Latest updates

Posthumously, Bachchan's verses and influence have remained present in Indian film and literary culture. His autobiographical volumes, translations and poems continue to be cited and performed, and his life is often recalled in contemporary discussions about modern Hindi literature.
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Recent Work

Kya Bhooloon Kya Yaad Karoon; Needa Ka Nirman Phir; Basere Se Door; Dashdwar se Sopan Tak

Four‑volume autobiography that won the Saraswati Samman

1991
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Career Highlights

  1. Authored the celebrated poem Madhushala
  2. Translated Shakespeare's Macbeth and Othello into Hindi
  3. Recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award (1968)
  4. Awarded the Padma Bhushan (1976)
  5. Received the Saraswati Samman for his four‑volume autobiography (1991)
  6. Nominated to the Rajya Sabha (1966)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Harivansh Rai Bachchan born?

27 November 1909

What is Harivansh Rai Bachchan known for?

Poet

What is Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s marital status?

Married (at the time of death)

Who is Harivansh Rai Bachchan married to?

First wife: Shyama Bachchan; Second wife: Teji Bachchan