Amitabh Bachchan On Why He Will Never Talk About the Gandhis

Actor Amitabh Bachchan spoke to NDTV's Barkha Dutt about having former co-star Rekha in his film Shamitabh, why he considers his brush with politics a failure, and the dynamics behind his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Watch
 

Here are the highlights of the interview:

• You are not going to be eternally young, you are not going to eternally popular. Have to step aside for new people.
• No, I am not tired. Love the idea of going through new scripts, enacting new roles. Keeps me alive.
• I think that all actors have a very limited life.
• No connection between my drunk scenes in movies and father's Madhushala. He would say "life itself is an intoxication" so I don't need to consume something to feel intoxicated.
• Won't be eternally young, popular, I will have to step aside
• Love new scripts, new roles, it keeps me alive
• There are many talents I don't have.
• Rekha is a part of a film I am doing. She is just doing a small cameo. Not sharing same screen.
• There will come a time when someone will be looked upon as better than you.
• I feel insecure when I don't have work. A whole lot of work goes into finding good scripts.
• Heads don't always turn when I walk into a restaurant.
• Heads not turning worries you when you are not prepared, i was prepared for it.
• On Gandhis: If I talk about my fallout with the Gandhis, it'll be just another story for the media. I will rather keep it contained in myself
• Thankfully there wasn't freedom of private news channel during Bofors time. I would have been crucified had it been so, because there was an individual involved who had a celebrity status.
• Had there been a medium with me which would have helped clarify at that time, I would have appreciated it.
• I don't talk about certain things because I feel it will be just another story for you.
• Have great regard for media but I feel these are things I need to keep to myself. Grateful that media respected that.
• I don't understand politics. It was a failure for me.
• On relationship with and meeting Modi: Personally for me, I am apolitical. For me, it was somebody who wanted to meet me, just another association.
• Meeting someone is not a statement of political preference.
• We don't need to imitate the West but that does not mean we dont care about the country and the world.
• We are in a sense ambassadors of society and morals and we are aware and what we do will be picked up by the masses.
• The West and American film industry is politically stronger than Indian film industry. They have strong representation in the Congress.
• Freedom of expression is very vital. Freedom of expression is just not what you say, it is also how you react. It has to be balanced.
• Really don't have an opinion on whether we should have a rating agency, that is something government must decide. I am just concerned about my work.

Ques: How would Amitabh Bachchan describe himself in one line?
Ans: Just another name.