Bollywood actor back at work
2006-02-22 12:25
Mumbai - India's film legend Amitabh
Bachchan has returned to work after a life-threatening illness,
recording a song for a movie he also stars in.
The song for Hindi-language film Baabul is Bachchan's
first stab at Bollywood since being discharged from a Mumbai
hospital on December 17 following stomach surgery.
"We did the recording on Saturday night. It was, as always,
a splendid experience to have him sing one of my compositions,"
said Aadesh Shrivastava, the film's music director.
The industry had been waiting with bated breath for the
return of Bachchan, voted in a 2002 BBC Online survey as the
most popular screen and stage icon of all time, ahead of
Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness.
The superstar, who producers and companies have millions of
dollars riding on this year through films and advertisements,
had earlier said it could take up to six months for him to
recover fully, and that he did not know when he would resume
work.
Bachchan's office, however, said the actor was still
recovering and would need time to get back to his regular work
schedule. He has not yet resumed shooting for films which
stalled after he fell sick.
Bachchan, 63, has acted in over 150 films, famously playing
rebels, smugglers and vigilantes in a series of
anti-establishment roles in the 1970s and 1980s. He now plays
more mature roles, many of which are written for him
specifically.
Bachchan is also the host of the popular Indian version of
the TV quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and no fresh
episodes have been filmed since his illness.