Dhanush: 'Shamitabh' is the role of my lifetime

Shamitabh' - the short form of Dhanush and Amitabh is the year’s most awaited release. The movie that combines the south god in the making - Dhanush with India’s most recognized face Amitabh Bachchan in R Balki’s next direction after the incredible ‘Paa’ is soaring new heights in curiosity. Dhanush who is very busy in the movie’s promotion managed a quickie with indiaglitz and shared some ‘Shamitabh’ moments.. Excerpts

From a phenomenal B-town debut with "Raanjhanaa" to sharing screen with the phenomenon Mr Bachchan

It's a dream come true working with a stalwart like Mr.Bachchan .My very first shot in Hindi films was against a poster of Mr.Bachchan and now I get to be pitted against him in Shamitabh -It doesn't get any better than this.

People say you a south’s god in the making and you also have an unprecedented fan following up in north

The fact that people loved the character I played in Raanjhanaa and follow my other films down south is something I'm yet to come to terms with - It feels surreal and for an actor and its always a compliment to know that your character is remembered by people and not just your public image.

Why you opt for unconventional roles in Bollywood

Down south my fans are used to seeing me in a particular role and hence I'm restricted as an actor ! In Bollywood I have nothing to lose, so I try to experiment and mix it up as much as possible and thanks to R.Balki I bagged the role of a lifetime.

So what character does Dhanush plays in the role of his lifetime

I play an ordinary guy with dreams of being a star - The film is about clash of egos, about people competing for credit as filmmaking is a collaborative effort. ‘Shamitabh’ explores that collision between Mr.Bachchan and me.

R.Balki has called you an "Original actor" what you have to say

Balki sees things very differently and yet with so much clarity - It was a very enriching experience working on this film. Balki brings out the best in his actors

You are called the dark horse at the B/O

Its overwhelming ...And I hope to continue surprising them with performances that stay with them much after the film releases.

Shamitabh set to break record

Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan will consolidate his position as the king of social media by recording a record-breaking podcast for the Apple’s Meet The Filmmaker series at their flagship store in central London on January 28. The actor, who has arguably the biggest presence on social media out of all the Indian movie stars, will record a podcast for his soon to be released movie Shamitabh. It will be made available to more than 800 million iTunes users around the world for free, which makes it the largest ever for an Indian film.

This is only the third ever Bollywood podcast that Apple have included in the popular series. The first saw Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra get interviewed for Krrish 3 and second had Vishal Bhardwaj and Shahid Kapoor talking about their movie Haider. The Shamitabh podcast with Amitabh Bachchan would eclipse the previous two in terms of reach and will be the first time an Indian movie star has been interviewed solo.
 
Renowned entertainment Asjad Nazir, who has hosted the previous two podcasts and will interview Amitabh Bachchan for the third, thinks this will be the best yet. “Mr Bachchan is a global icon and the most loved Indian movie star on the planet. Now fans from all corners of the globe will have access to the podcast for free and be able to listen to the great man speak about Shamitabh, cinema and his wonderful career. With his immense influence I am sure he will inspire others in Indian cinema to use podcasts such as these to reach fans,” said Asjad.
 
Big named Hollywood stars who have featured in the Meet The Filmmaker series include Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Benedict Cumberbatch. Shamitabh is the latest film from director R Balki and will be released by Eros International on February 6. The comedy-drama also stars Dhanush and Akshara Haasan.

Amitabh Bachchan justifies title of R Balki’s ‘Shamitabh’

London: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan dismissed suggestion that his name has been incorporated in his upcoming movie ‘Shamitabh’ for creating some kind of sensation and described the film as a “never before seen” plot.

 

Amitabh Bachchan, who is in London to promote the film along with co-stars Dhanush and Akshara Haasan, said, “A lot of people have been intrigued by the title and feel that my name has been incorporated for some kind of sensation. That is quite untrue.”

 

“The title actually comes out of the script of the film. It’s a story of two individuals who have different exceptional qualities and what happens when they come together. I give my voice to the character of Dhanush…an aspect of the film which was a first for me,” explained Big B. The actor described the film as a “never before seen” plot. Writer-director R Balki’s ‘Shamitabh will hit the screens around the world on February 6.

 

“Balki has a very intellectual, sensitive mind. He thinks differently and has always made stories that have not been the regular escapist fare that you see in Hindi cinema. And I can say with certain amount of confidence that this is a plot that has never been seen before at least in Indian cinema, even may be true for cinema worldwide. “It’s been a great joy to be able to live with his thought process,” said the 72-year-old actor, who has worked with Balki on two previous critically-acclaimed films – ‘Cheeni Kum’ and ‘Paa’. ‘Shamitabh’, which revolves around a film crazy village boy’s rise to cinematic fame, has been described as an ode to Bachchan‘s distinctive and deep baritone voice.

 

As part of the UK promotions for the film, the superstar will also be interacting with his social media fans directly at a special podcast event planned at the Apple store on Regent Street in central London tomorrow. The recording as part of Apple’s ‘Meet the Filmmaker’ series, will be made available to more than 800 million iTunes users around the world for free, the largest ever for an Indian film.