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Big B takes a trip down memory lane

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan’s fan base is definitely one deserved, however the veteran actor believes that it hasn’t been all down to him, and there have been many people behind his stardom.

Talking to the media,��Deccan Chronicle reported the actor talking about some of the brilliant filmmakers he has worked with. Talking of the first director he had worked with,��Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Bachchan expressed, “Abbas sahab was bestowed with very powerful writing. In many ways a cultural socialist, he believed in the common man and his stories. He also pushed his actors to conduct themselves in the same way, like a common man. For example, in ‘Saath Hindustani’ (1969), the actors actually travelled via trains in third class compartments.”

On ‘Anand’ (1971) film maker��Hrishikesh Mukherjee, the actor said, “He was a master in editing and he used to edit films of filmmakers such as Bimal Roy. So many times we would not know what he is saying. He would tell us to go stand there and say our dialogue. When we would ask why? He would say ��don�۪t ask, just do it�۪. But when you see the completed film, you would understand that he had the whole thing edited in his mind and he knew everything. He was very conservative in his film making style. Now you see these fabulously decorative sets, but he would just take�� an L-shaped room, put some chairs and make the actors stand. Those were devices that saved money, but the end result was perfect.”

Having worked with the late Yash Chopra, Bachchan expressed, “He was a romanticist by heart, he was fond of poetry in everything. He was also very passionate about his work. During ‘Deewar’ (1975), we weren�۪t sure if he could deliver as a director because it wasn�۪t his type of film, but he did it.”

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