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Bollywood's Mr B back on set
20/03/2006 13:01 - (SA)
Mumbai - The Bollywood film industry was rejuvenated on Monday as its biggest star Amitabh Bachchan returned to the set after a four-month break to recover from surgery.
Bachchan will start filming three movies this week, after 12 productions worth nearly one billion rupees ($22.5m) were delayed when the actor, nicknamed the "Big B", fell ill in November with intestinal problems.
"Mr Bachchan was very excited this morning to come back to the set," said his make-up man Deepak Sawant. He added he was "very happy" the actor would be filming on Tuesday for a film Sawant was also producing.
Security was tight at the studio in the Andheri section of northern Mumbai for the shooting of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (Never Say Goodbye) , also starring popular actress Rani Mukherjee.
On Tuesday, Bachchan, 63, will start filming for Ganga (River Ganges) followed by shooting later in the week in the lead role for Babul (Father's Home) .
The director for Babul, Ravi Chopra, told AFP earlier this month that they would take breaks during the 50-day shoot to ensure the actor remained healthy.
Bachchan last year won a raft of Indian film awards for his performance in Black, which focused on the relationship between an alcoholic teacher and his deaf-and-blind student.
His four successful films in 2005 grossed more than $22m. His career spans nearly 40 years and more than 100 films and he remains the top star in the world's most prolific film industry.
Even during his illness, Bachchan maintained his commercial clout through both TV ads and reruns of old movies shown on Indian television.
- AFP
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South Africa
