It's official now! Amitabh Bachchan has opted out of two projects. This is no unfounded information; it comes straight from Mr. Bachchan himself.
The Somnath Sen-directed project, which was to star Big B and Madhuri Dixit in crucial roles, is likely to undergo a change in the cast with the veteran actor returning the signing amount to the producers. I had liked the idea initially, but the script didn't excite me when I read it subsequently, Bachchan informs me, as we sit down for a t?-?? in Mauritius, on the sets of Romesh Sharma's DIL JO BHI KAHEY
There's talk that he opted out of the project [tentatively titled PROFESSOR AND MUSICIAN] because it didn't seem as exciting after Madhuri Dixit's inability to do the project due to her pregnancy. No, that's untrue. My decision has nothing to do with it, he clarifies.
Another project Bachchan Sr. has opted out of - this is a recent development - is MAHARATHI, which was to star Big B, Paresh Rawal and Shilpa Shetty, with Vikram Bhatt in the director's seat.
I wrote to Paresh [Rawal] two days ago, expressing my inability to do the project. I'll talk to him once I return to Mumbai. I am not doing the film for sure, Bachchan states.
What prompted him to opt out of MAHARATHI? Well, there has been a lot of criticism about my accepting miniscule/insignificant roles. The trade magazines have criticized me several times in the recent past. Besides, the distributors weren't happy either, although I don't understand how my presence would make such a difference to any project, he smiles modestly.
Also, the other reason for opting out of MAHARATHI was that the role didn't excite me as much. As a concept, it's indeed refreshing [Big B narrated the storyline to this writer], but somehow when I read the script in entirety, it didn't enthuse me, he explains.
I've decided to be a part of projects where I have something substantial to do, instead of making brief appearances, he adds.
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