Amitabh Bachchan Skypes Dubai surprise and steals the thunder

He came. He Skyped. And he stole the thunder right from underneath the starry names physically present at the press conference that kick-started the media promotions of Bollywood political thriller ‘Satyagraha’ in Dubai.

The only Bollywood persona to achieve such a feat is the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, who was part of the surprise package that makers UTV Motion Pictures had in store for Dubai press and fans, as stars Kareena Kapoor and Ajay Devgn looked on, with director Prakash Jha and producer Siddharth Roy Kapur in tow.

Despite a crackling connection that forced Jha to moonlight as an impromptu interpreter, Bachchan didn’t shy away from the political quagmire that transformed into a volley of questions, which formed a marriage between his reel-life character in the film – a follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology – and the real-life state of affairs that has kept India in the news for all the wrong reasons.



Speaking candidly about last year’s horrific Delhi gang-rape case that brought a country to the brink of a revolution with nationwide protests for tighter protection laws for women, Bachchan, who has actively voiced his support for a reform via his social media accounts, said: “I do feel though that there is a misconception that India is unsafe for women.

“According to a recent report I read, the US is number one in annual rape incidences, with India coming in at seven or lower. However, the perception that one’s country is not a safe haven for women anymore is not a good sign of how the conception has altered in people’s eyes.”

He continued, drawing reference to the social message a film such as ‘Satyagraha’ portrays: “A movie such as this echoes the basic need of expressing peacefully, the call of a social message, trying to tell the system that people are demanding quick judgement and severe punishment in such instances.”

Bachchan, whose role in the film is one that has drawn parallels with the Mahatma of yore and the current champion against corruption in India, Anna Hazare, doesn’t deny he has drawn inspiration from such revered figures for his performance.

“Gandhi has inspired my role in ‘Satyagraha’, with even the title of the film having been taken from the Mahatma’s own philosophy of truth prevailing in justice,” he explained.

“However, this is just a part of who I play. In this modern day era, we are channelling a dialogue with today’s youth, saying that even as we walk the path of non-violence, don’t use that anger against corruption and waste it on revenge, but rather channel it towards taking positive action to changing your country for the better.”

‘Satyagraha’, which releases across UAE cinemas on Thursday, captures the uprising of the middle class against a corrupt and unjust system that leaves it with no recourse but to form a spontaneous movement to challenge the status quo.

In the film, Devgn plays a corporate honcho, while Kapoor essays the role of a political journalist.

Speaking of their respective roles, Devgn, who was worked with Jha on several previous films, such as ‘Gangajal’ and ‘Rajneeti’ said that he didn’t have to do much research on his performance, adding: “Prakash and I have reached this stage in our friendship whereby a few grunts and nods manages to relay the message of what he’s looking for in a particular scene without any monologues to add to the mix.

“There is that level of comfort now.”

For Kapoor, who hasn’t played such an intense role before, said: “I came with the mindset that Prakash Jha comes with a certain pedigree of talent that I have wanted to work with in the past. The only advice I came to at the table was from my husband Saif (Ali Khan), who said you had better be prepared for mouthing hardcore Hindi words.”

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