Bachchan ready to get back to shooting

After three months of being out of action, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is now fit to resume work and is planning to return to the arc lights later this month.

Bachchan says he will probably get back to work after March 20 with the shooting for his makeup man Deepak Sawant's Bhojpuri film. "Then I'll shoot for Karan Johar's 'Kabhi Alavidaa Na Kehna'. Then a couple of days will be set aside to shoot for ads. And then I go into Ravi Chopra's 'Babul'."

Bachchan had undergone an abdominal surgery late last year.

The songs in "Babul" are still being polished. "I want to sing them as well as I can. But the basics are in place. The fine-tuning needs to be done," said Bachchan.

A proposed trip to Mauritius for the Zee Cine Awards has been cancelled.

"Abhishek was supposed to perform. And I'd have loved to watch him. My grandchildren, my daughter and Jaya were also supposed to join us in Mauritius. But Abhishek is down with a viral flu. And the doctors have forbidden me from travelling. So we aren't going. Sanjay Bhansali or Rani can collect my award," Bachchan told IANS.

Bachchan has given the green signal to Deepa Mehta's "Komagata Maru", too, and is in discussion with director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra for his next project.

"I am going to start meeting producers... I have said yes to Deepa Mehta's 'Komagata Maru' in principle. I have had several meetings with Rakeysh Mehra. From the time we did 'Aks' together we have been discussing lots of ideas including 'Rang De Basanti'... projects involving both Abhishek and me.

"Pretty soon we'll be able to zero in on a project. We might be doing 'Bhairavi', which is an extremely unique subject with unique possibilities. The more we talk about it the bigger it seems."

Talking about his appearance at the Filmfare awards, he said: "I was very happy to receive the critics' awards at Filmfare from Rakeysh and Vinod Chopra."

Pausing to reflect on his return to normal health, Bachchan continues: "I'm truly touched by the love and support of my colleagues. Everyone has been so kind and warm. I was so moved when people whom I have worked with came forward to greet me with so much affection at the Filmfare awards. I hope I never do anything to lose that affection".