Big B fails punctuality test, for once

Mumbai: Punctuality has always been superstar Amitabh Bachchan's strong point. He is not known to arrive late for functions.

A stickler for punctuality, he makes it a point always to arrive at any public function on the dot so as not to inconvenience the organisers and people, who wait for him. In fact, when he is shooting for a movie, he reports on the sets before even his co-stars show up.

So, when he kept the media waiting for almost three hours Saturday at Cinemax at Versova in northwest Mumbai before he arrived to unveil the replica of his 'look' in BR Films' forthcoming release Bhootnath, reporters were shocked.

Bachchan walked in at quarter past nine for his programme scheduled at 1830 hours. Naturally, he apologised to the media, explaining that he was first held up by a shoot and then by the evening traffic.

The replica of his 'look' in Bhootnath bore a striking resemblance to the one he donned for his role of Gabbar Singh in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay. He was flummoxed when it was pointed out to him and looked at Ravi Copra, the producer, seeking an explanation. Chopra said the 'look' was perfect for the role Bachchan plays in the film.

In Bhootnath, Bachchan plays a cantankerous grandfather who later becomes a partner in pranks indulged in by his seven-year-old grandson Banku (Aman Siddiqui). The movie is about a child's innocent and unsullied love and how it can turn a foe into a friend.

Bachchan showered praise on Aman for his histrionic abilities. He said the boy was, in fact, the star of the movie and that he merely played a character called Kailashnath, who is endearingly referred to as Bhootnath in the movie.

The cast of Bhootnath also includes Juhi Chawla, Satish Shah, Rajpal Yadav and Tejas. Shah Rukh Khan makes a special appearance. While referring to SRK, Bachchan denied any 'bad vibes' between them. They have a few scenes together in the movie. "It is a media-created animosity. He is a friend," Bachchan said.

Written and directed by Vivek Sharma, music for Bhootnath has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar and the lyrics are written by Javed Akhtar. An Indian Films presentation, it is scheduled for release on May 9 this year.