MUMBAI, Aug 22:
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has a blink-and-you-miss role in Hollywood film ‘The Great Gatsby’, says he did the film for free as a gesture.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire.
“My role is just small and hardly of a minute. Baz Luhrmann was touring India on a motorcycle couple of years ago… Going all over the country. He dropped in at my office with a friend who did some painting work for me. We just had a casual conversation and he left,” Bachchan told reporters here at a promotional event of KBC.
“A year-and-half ago he called me and said he has a small role for me, which he felt was not worthy of me. He asked if I would do it and I readily agreed. I did it as a gesture. It is not remunerative… I have not charged anything,” he said.
The 69-year-old actor, who essays the role of Meyer Wolfshiem, is seen sporting a moustache and beard in the trailer of the film.
“I still don’t have the liberty to talk about the film. It is the contract that binds me. All I can is that I am very happy and delighted to have work with a genius like Baz Luhrmann,” he said.
“Many films have been made on it (novel), this is the third edition. A huge amount of detailing, research and their whole system of working is so well organised… It is a great pleasure to be working with them,” Big B said.
Bachchan is happy about sharing screen space with Hollywood biggies like DiCaprio, Manguire and others. “My experience of working with Baz, Leonardo, Tobey, Carrie (Mulligan) is wonderful. I am happy to be working with them,” he said.
‘The Great Gatsby’ a 3D romantic drama, is an adaptation of the classic F Scott Fitzgerald novel.
Bachchan talked about his other two pending projects – Shoojit Sircar’s ‘Shoebite’ and Mira Nair’s ‘Shantaram’.
‘Shoebite’ also stars Dia Mirza, Jimmy Shergill and Sarika.
Earlier, Percept Pictures was to make the film but later UTV Motion Pictures stepped in.
Talking about the same, Big B said, “’Shoebite’ was the idea that Percept first worked on and then UTV came into the picture and Shoojit Sircar came on board. We shot the entire film. Then UTV said they have got some legal problem with 20th Century Fox as they said this property (subject) belongs to them.”
“We had to tell them (20th Century Fox) that we are through with the shooting of the film. Now this matter is with UTV. I don’t know what the outcome is. From our side the work is over. Hope that the film will be released soon,” he said.
The other project is internationally acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair’s dream project ‘Shantaram’, a 2003 novel by Gregory David Roberts.
The film was set to have Hollywood actor Johnny Depp in the lead. Few years back Mira had shelved plans to shoot the film. The project is reportedly being revived.
“’Shantaram’ never went on floors. Mira Nair had come to me saying she wanted me to do a role in the film. Also, the film was to feature Johnny Depp and she was excited about it. I agreed to do the role,” Bachchan said.
“Later she told me that they have abandoned the project. I don’t know what is happening with ‘Shantaram’ now,” he said. (PTI)
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