Amitabh Bachchan to star in The Great Gatsby

The Bollywood legend says he is charging no fee for his role in the film.

MUMBAI:

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he has not charged any fee for his appearance in director Baz Luhrmann’s film The Great Gatsby.

“The role is small, hardly of a minute. Baz Luhrmann was touring India a couple of years ago and while going all around the country he dropped in at my office with a friend who did some painting work for me. We just had a casual conversation and he left,” Big B told reporters on Wednesday.

“A year and a half ago he called me and said he has a role for me which he said was not worthy and asked if I will still do it. I readily agreed and I have not charged anything. I did it just for a gesture,” added the Indian superstar who will be seen as Meyer Wolfsheim in the movie.

A book-to-screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s bestseller of the same name, the film also features Hollywood actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire in lead roles. The film is scheduled for a December release.

“My experience with Baz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey and Carey was wonderful. Many films have been made on this, this is the third edition and a huge amount of detailing and research has been done. Their whole system of working is so organised, it is a great pleasure to be working with them,” said Amitabh about his debut Hollywood film.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2012.