I wanted to prove that Big B is not old: Puri Interview

Mumbai: Tollywood director Puri Jagannath, who is returning to Hindi films after seven years with "Bbuddah...Hoga Tera Baap" in which Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan plays a bold and flamboyant role, says he made the movie to tell the people that the 68-year-old actor is still young.

"I'm a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan since childhood and I used to watch all his movies. But then came a time, when he started doing films that I didn't like him in," Jagannath told IANS in an interview.

"After 'Mard' I didn't see his films till he did 'Sarkar' and that was perfect for him," he said.

"I wanted to make a film just for him and make it in a way that I can tell people that he is not old. He still has that fire, he still has that charisma. Hence was born the idea of this film," he added.

In "Bbuddah...Hoga Tera Baap", Bachchan is seen as an angry man who wears bright, bold, over-the-top clothes and hates it when someone calls him old. The films also stars Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon, Sonu Sood and Sonal Chauhan and is slated for release Friday.

The 44-year-old director, who had a grim beginning at the Bollywood box office in 2004 when he made "Shart", is confident about success this time and believes that people will like Big B in the new image.

"I have been confident about this character from the very beginning. Bachchan is very good with every emotion, whether its's drama or comedy, and he is truly an entertainer. So I'm sure people will like him in this image as well," Jagannath said.

The Telugu director, who has made successful films like "Badri", "Pokiri", "Chiruta" and "Neninthe", among others, said working with Bachchan was one of the best experiences he has ever had.

"It was a wonderful experience working with Bachchan. He is a very cool and calm person and very co-operative. I learnt a lot from him," he said.

"Sometimes he even used to give his opinion. He is very committed and focused. He will practice the scene at home, will tell me how he will do it and if I make some last-minute changes, he would incorporate them," he said.

"He used to always be fully prepared. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him," he added.

After "Bbuddah... Hoga Tera Baap", Jagannath is looking at making a stronger presence in Bollywood and planning to start working on three Hindi films next year.

"I want to do more Hindi films now. I have three scripts. I want to start working on them next year. However, the cast and other things are not confirmed as of now," he revealed. (IANS)

(Ruchika Kher can be contacted at ruchikakher@gmail.com)