Readers vote: Amitabh deserves a Bharat Ratna!

On Lata Mangeshkar's 82nd birthday last month, the veteran singer had announced that Amitabh Bachchan deserved a Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

Amitabh, on the other hand, humbly said, "Lataji is too big a human being and talent in comparison to me. I don't think I would like to comment on it. With due respect to what she has said, I disagree with it because according to me, I have not achieved anything or done anything extraordinary that will me earn such a prestigious award."

He added, "I don't think I deserve a Bharat Ratna nor do I desire to receive it. I am sure I am not going to get it. Such awards are destined for people who are extraordinary in their work."

When we asked readers whether they felt Amitabh deserved the award, they were unanimous in their decision. Yes, many of them said, giving us some interesting reasons. On Amitabh's 69th birthday, we take a look at what his fans think of him.

Piyush from Raipur felt he has acted in different kinds of movies, and has done an excellent job in the film industry.

Mohammed Muslim from Qatar felt he was already a Bharat Ratna -- "it only needs to be made official," he writes.

Mitesh from Pune stated that he deserved the honour because "his cultural impact on the country has been immense." He adds," His ability to stay relevant is inspiring."

Arnab Sen from Singapore writes he's the "best and most versatile actor India has ever produced."

Shubhada Bhide from Singapore wonders, "Who else has the charisma, acting prowess, absolute command of language and popularity?"

Prithviraj from Satara feels Amitabh has changed people's opinions about films.

Sachin Joshi from Pune writes, "Amitabh is a living legend, and a great human being in Bollywood."

Asish Majumdar from Delhi writes Amitabh is a role model for everybody.

Denzil Rajan from Pune writes that Amitabh deserves the Bharat Ratna because he put Bollywood on the world map.

Rakesh from Delhi writes, "He is a class apart. He must have made millions happy watching him, forgetting the woes of their life."

Anand P Bedarkar from Muscat writes, " His contribution to his field is unparallel."

Asif from Qatar writes, " He will never do commercials for cigarettes or wine."

There were a handful of readers who felt Amitabh does not deserve a Bharat Ratna yet.

Mannoj from Ahmednagar writes, "He's a paid entertainer. He hasn't done public service without charging for it."

Bharat from Delhi writes, "He works for his personal reasons unlike Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand, who work for the creation of art. Amitabh works for money only."

Shrini from Mumbai writes, "He is a reel actor not a real hero. Give him the highest award in acting but Bharat Ratna is a definite no from me."

Mathew from UAE writes, "There are more deserving candidates around. Amitabh is more of hype. Even in terms of acting, I doubt his range. Yes he is good, but good enough? No."

And so the debate continues.