Refreshed, Amitabh Bachchan resumes work

Mumbai, Nov 15 (IANS) After a much-needed break in Udaipur, during which he caught up on reading, writing and watching films he always wanted to, Amitabh Bachchan is back to work Saturday after recuperating from his illness.

Confirming his return to the arclights the Big B said: 'I'm starting on 15th with Leena Yadav's 'Teen Patti'. There isn't much pending work there.'

He was in Udaipur taking a break with his personal physician accompanying him.

'I needed to get away from home. I needed time to myself, to read and write. And to watch the films that I've been meaning to for a long time. It was so peaceful out here. I should do this more often. But where is the time to take time off?'

They don't call him the Big B for nothing. Big B is more than willing to meet the disappointed hordes who were turned away on his birthday after his sudden illness.

'My fans are never a burden. They are welcome any time. I publicly meet them every Sunday and specific ones get to meet me on my films' sets. No issues there.'

The Big B regrets the fact that his illness took away his fans' excitement on his birthday. 'However health issues do not wait for an opportune moment. They happen. It is nature. It is biological. We do not have control over them. Yes, this one happened on my birthday. So what?'

He is supremely pleased to be home. 'But I do regret not being able to meet the well-wishers that assembled to greet me. I am sure they have understood the gravity of the situation. There will be other moments to make up for the loss.'

Family friends like Karan Johar and Sanjay Dutt, who are abroad, kept calling to express their concern throughout the Big B's week-long hospitalization. And he was overwhelmed and embarrassed by the extra attention.

Commenting regretfully on the postponement of Abhishek and Aishwarya's schedule of Mani Ratnam's film, the Big B says: 'They were to leave the next day but stayed back and rescheduled their programme because of my condition. I generally do not like the idea of attention and of disturbing others with my condition, but I shall respect their decision even if they disagree with me. Particularly so now.'

The general opinion about Abhishek is that he's as good a son to his father as the Big B was to his.

The Big B says with paternal pride: 'I am grateful that others think so compassionately about Abhishek. My father is not alive to give an assessment of what he thought of me as a son. But I am. And I am happy and full of pride to have Abhishek as my devoted son.'

Back to work, a small portion of Shootjit Sircar's 'Shoebite' remains to be shot.

'That's the working title. We needed to wait for a particular climate to shoot the remaining work. That is now ready and we shall be finishing the entire shoot soon. I'm also in the process of sorting out the dates for the film to be produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Good to have so much variety thrown in my direction.'

In the meanwhile AB Corp Ltd is ready to resume operations.

The Big B isn't too pleased by the suggestion that his production company had slowed down. 'I laugh at the constant refrain of 'AB. Corp resuming production'. Resuming? We have been in production all along. Yes, they may not have attracted attention. But we are there. I shall keep you abreast as time approaches on our projects.'