Time Out at 40

Salman Rushdie | Amitabh Bachchan | MF Husain | Zubin Mehta

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan says he doesn’t like the word ‘superstar’ but there’s no other word that explains why the actor continues to be revered by Indians across the world. Bachchan’s career spans over four decades. No matter what the genre – action, comedy, romance or melodrama (and often, all in the same film) – Bachchan has proved his ability to keep audiences riveted. He’s currently touring the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada with his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai on the Unforgettables Tour, an epic tour for a Mumbai hero.

Are you satisfied with the response to the Unforgettables Tour?
The responses at each and every venue have been nothing short of amazing. The packed stadia have added to the exhilaration and excitement of all our performers. Artists exist on audience appreciation. Our existence during this entire tour has been full of love from the fans. It has added years to our lives.

It must be a very gruelling tour – what keeps you going?
Yes, it is and has been gruelling. But when has achievement in any field been devoid of that? The commitment to the audiences and their roars of appreciation would get even a down-and-out performer to stand up and deliver. That is what keeps us going.
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When you came to Mumbai in the 1960s, what did you make of the city then? What has this city given you?
Mumbai now, Bombay then, had always been a fascinating city and it still is. It wakes you up in the morning, pushes you out of the bed and demands that you get going. And this I have said many times over. Mumbai has given me my profession, a home, a family – I could not ask for more.

How would you rate Mumbai compared to other cities? Do you miss the city when you’re not there?
Mumbai is home. And there can never be any other place better than home. We travel, the profession demands that and we visit and appreciate many other places the world over. But home is home and is always missed.

What do you like and dislike about Mumbai? If there was anything you could change, what would it be?
I like Mumbai’s cosmopolitan nature. I like the way it embraces everyone and feeds them and looks after them. It is getting crowded. And it needs a cleanliness drive. Many efforts are being made in that direction with effective results. But we still have some way to go.

Lastly, your favourite Bombay food?
Pao bhaji and srikhand.
Interview Nandini Ramnath

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Salman Rushdie | Amitabh Bachchan | MF Husain | Zubin Mehta