Amitabh Bachchan: I wish I could do romantic leads with Katrina, Priyanka, Deepika, Vidya and Parineeti

Way back in 1982, when Amitabh Bachchan met with an accident while shooting Coolie, India was glued to every second of news they got from any source about the superstar’s health, as he was being treated at the Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai.
That was 32 years back. Ever since then, on every Sunday come what may, thousands of people gather outside Jalsa, the most famous landmark for every tourist travelling to Mumbai, to just get a glimpse of their icon.And despite so much of stardom over so many decades, this superstar never fails to oblige if he is in Mumbai. He not only reschedules his life for his fans, he smiles and punctually comes out to bring happiness to them. His fans do not include just ordinary citizens of India like me, but at 72, he has top directors not just wanting to work with him, but also make a film named after him. R. Balki’s upcoming drama Shamitabh is an example of that. Big B talks to Bombay Times about the extremely intelligent Dhanush, the open-minded Balki and which of the young actresses he would like to romance with on screen. Excerpts:
READ: ​20 reasons why we love Amitabh Bachchan
R. Balki is one of your biggest fans. Tell us about working with him.
Balki is someone who has always thought differently. He has a different mind, not just in the stories that he constructs, but also in his own profession of advertising. His mind is never direct and straight, it’s always something different. Many of us don’t have the capacity to think like that and then he overwhelms you with the content and you kind of feel lesser in front of him as you feel, ‘Hey, why did I not think like him?’ He will have discussions much before he narrates his script and he will throw something at you and I will say fine, ‘What have you been drinking or whatever?’ And then we sit and chat and then the whole construction comes up and then we have discussions and arguments and debates, but he is very accommodative. If there is something that upsets me, I will express it freely. That’s one of the qualities I admire about him. He listens and is not adamant. If he genuinely feels that there is a point he overlooked, he will accept that. It happened in Paa. He came with an entire bound script and we talked. I told him, ‘Balki, I like the idea of the character, but the way it’s going I feel is incorrect.’ We talked about it for hours. And he said, ‘I will think about it.’ He went home and called me within just half-an-hour and said, ‘I have torn that script.’ And he rewrote the script. So it was a marked shift from what he had thought of earlier. He has a very open mind.
At 72, you have a film Shamitabh named after you. Wow!
I don’t think it’s deliberately done. It just so happens that it’s based on the character. It’s a story about conflict of two people, one, an almost reject and one, a rising young enterprise, of their association, of how one helps the other and the other acknowledges and because of that association, the evil conflicts that come up as each one thinks that his contribution is more valid than the other’s and how their egos finally work in the story and what happens in the end. And it’s most interestingly done.

Every Sunday, you have thousands of people standing outside literally waiting to just get your darshan. How do you feel?
They have been coming every Sunday from 1982 since my accident in Coolie. When I am not there, they check and go away. But it’s more to do with the fact that on Sundays, they come to the beach and say, ‘Okay, might as well look.’ I think they come to check if I am still alive or not. But I don’t have words for it. It’s something that I value and I schedule myself for that and that is how important I think it is. I know that they come with all hope and expectation and all they want is some pictures on their mobile.
You look very cool with a beard in Shamitabh. Any plans to keep one in your real life too?
I don’t mind. I had a beard earlier on. I am okay with it. This was something that Balki designed. It’s very meticulous you know. Hair and wigs can be caught. But now, you have this way of removing the construction background on that. But yes, I liked it. It actually helps in the performance and apart from the different look, it helps the character. He is a bit of a drunk most of the time and careless and carefree and callous and largely frustrated in life and therefore, he has this unkempt look. He lives in very meager circumstances, so I don’t think he can afford it, but then as the story progresses, Dhanush and Akshara come into his life and subsequently, he has a slightly more cleaner look.
Even though Dhanush may not be traditionally good-looking, he is a great actor with tremendous aura. How was your experience working with him?
Dhanush is an extremely intelligent and accomplished actor and he is really my suggestion for the film. I felt that he was really perfect for the story. While we were battling with some names, I suggested Dhanush to Balki, who absolutely agreed that it was the correct decision. Akshara was Balki’s discovery. There is something about Dhanush, his face, the way he talks, moves, he is very unconventional and yet, so convincing. I can’t put a finger on it and sometimes, it’s beneficial that you can’t as then the unexpected happens.
You have now worked with both Kamal Haasan and Akshara. Did you find any similarities between them?
This is her first film and Balki obviously spent a lot of time with her. She is a very keen learner. That is greatly appreciated for someone who is starting off and for someone, who comes from this kind of lineage. And she is always very receptive of something that is told to her and she is always very apologetic if she gets something wrong and she will go on saying sorry. Many a times while shooting I would tell her, ‘Just stop saying sorry and do another take. Stop getting apologetic, it’s about getting it right.’ There is something about her face, where even when she says nothing, it says a lot. I am happy that Balki chose her. She doesn’t come with any kind of expectation. And there is no similarity between her and Kamal. Kamal comes with exceptional qualities and his history. When you go to see his film, when he does something extraordinary, you say right, we expect this from you. Akshara is her own kid and has her own mind and is very strong.
Listen to songs of Amitabh Bachchan on Gaana.com
You have worked with everybody. Any unfulfilled desire to work with anyone?
Time is not on my side, so unfortunately, when I see all the young talent, I want to be in every frame with them. I wish I could do romantic leads with some of the younger ladies like Katrina, Priyanka or Vidya, Deepika or Parineeti…with all of them. But most of the youngsters have not had the opportunity to work with the leading ladies of my time, so I say okay, I did that J.
WATCH: Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha come together for Shamitabh - TOI