Articles related to: Amitabh Bachchan - Page 4

By Subhash K Jha

There are strange and thoroughly uncharitable stories about Mr Bachchan being bandied by guttersnipe snoopers.

According to a source-based slander-story Mr Bachchan made huge demands on the producers of Rituparno Ghosh's English-language film The Last Lear, and even "threatened" not to shoot for the film until he was given the Presidential Suite at a particular luxury hotel in Kolkata.

However the fact is, the presidential suite of the hotel is occupied by the film's leading lady Preity Zinta and not the Big B.

Explains a horrified associate of the Big B, "Of course Mr Bachchan was to be put up in the Presidential suite. He doesn't need to throw a tantrum for that. It is his by right. However when he reached Kolkata for the shoot the presidential suite was occupied by someone else.

Without the least fuss Mr Bachchan quietly took an ordinary suite with an interconnecting room for his valet Pravin who needs to be with him to give his food medicines and so on , on time. And his makeup man is not staying at the same hotel. He's been put up in a much less expensive hotel."

The presidential suite is now occupied by Preity Zinta. "She arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday for her second schedule. By then the presidential suite was vacant , and we asked Mr Bachchan if he'd like to move into it. He said he was comfortable where he was , so Preity is now occupying the presidential suite."

Director Rituparno Ghosh neck-deep in work is horrified at the false story about AB's alleged demands. "Far from making demands Amitda is the epitome of co-operation. I've never seen such fierce dedication and passion in anyone. I wish every actor in this country would learn the meaning of commitment and dedication from him. After The Last Lear I want to make at least a dozen films with him."

http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?catname=mirch%20masala

Mumbai,

March 25 (IANS) The eagerly-anticipated 'One Amazing Night' world-tour featuring Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan with Aishwarya Rai, plus a host of top notch stars, has now been postponed from August-September 2007 to mid 2008.

Confirming this rather surprising development, Amitabh, told IANS: "Yes, we've to shift the proposed concert to next year because of Abhishek and Aishwarya's wedding. They've a jam-packed schedule this year. With the wedding also happening it would be impossible for them to leave for two months. We've to give them time to finish their other commitments.

"This year they don't even have time for any rehearsals. That apart, the concert tour plans remains unchanged. It's still the three of us, plus a lot of our colleagues."

Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra are some of the stars who would be accompanying the Bachchans for the world tour, designed as the most spectacular staged event from the Mumbai film industry of all times.

Amitabh, now busy with Rituparno Ghosh's "The Last Lear", says: "I don't know about that. But we'll certainly work towards making it a memorable experience. Right now we all have other things to worry about, including the wedding."

Fresh dates for the Abhishek-Aishwarya marriage continue to be speculated in the media.

"We don't know where these dates come from. Media persons, astrologers and numerologists seem to know more about our plans than we do! As far as we are concerned, we still haven't zeroed in on a date for the wedding."

It's awards time in India. As well as abroad, what with Amitabh Bachchan having started, as brand ambassador, the International Indian Film Awards (IIFA), complete with all the razzmatazz offered in the awards functions in India by Filmfare, Screen, Zee, and the rest.

Much as Bachchan hates the word 'Bollywood', it is this very word that is most pervasive all over Britain, which of late has been taken over by the cinema of the country it quit in 1947!

Despite the double paradox, Bachchan knows what is best for Bolly, of if he insists, Indian cinema.

So, this year's IIFA ceremony will be held in Sheffield in northern England on June 9. Bachchan strongly feels that hosting Bollywood's "biggest awards ceremony" held in Britain would really shoot up the popularity quotient of India's prolific film production.

This year's International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) ceremony will be held in Sheffield in northern England on June 9.

Bachchan has called Yorkshire "beautiful" with "a very large Asian community,'' and feels sure that such events always manage "to propagate the coming together of different communities.''

The annual film awards, again often referred to as ''Bollywood's Oscars,'' which would hardly gladden Bachchan's heart, were created some seven years ago. They are always presented outside India to promote Indian films for an international audience. Earlier ceremonies have been held in the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, the Netherlands, London and Singapore.

Bachchan has been spellbound by people abroad who don't even speak Hindi coming up to him and chatting about Indian movies. ''I've had non-Asians who don't even know our language coming up to me and saying they like a particular movie of mine,'' he has been quoted as having said elsewhere.

He added that some of them don't even know his name, let alone the fact that he is the Millennium's Megastar, but they all seem to be familiar with the characters he has played. - (SAMPURN)