Amitabh Bachchan On His Letter To His Granddaughters

In conversation with Giridhar Jha, OSM Supernova of the Year Amitabh Bachchan talks about his movies, politics and the controversies coming his way.

- Giridhar Jha

With Piku and Pink, your career is in an altogether new phase. You have enjoyed phenomenal popularity over the years, but do your recent movies revolving around socially relevant themes give you more satisfaction as an artiste than ever before?

I am satisfied with whatever I get to play in the films I work in. If they turn out to be socially relevant, I am happy. It’s a bonus. However, I do wish to question the veracity of your question. Do you think the films I worked in earlier were not socially relevant? Our films have always shown that good shall prevail over evil and justice shall be given to those who are right over those who are wrong. And also that there shall be poetic justice—all within three hours. You and I will never get that in a lifetime, perhaps several lifetimes!

Our films have always indulged in this sort of utopian social relevance. That has been the strength of Indian cinema through the 100-plus years of its existence. Cinema in India has been a unique phenomenon, and shall continue to be so. Its longevity proves that.

In your ‘angry young man’ days, most of your movies did not have meaty roles for actresses. But now you are part of films that have substantial roles for women. How do you see this transition?