MUMBAI: Bollywood’s megastar of more than 5 decades, Amitabh Bachchan recently bowled over Hollywood’s most formidable critics, with his special appearance in Hollywood film ‘The Great Gatsby’.
In a cameo role in ‘The Great Gatsby’, directed by auteur Baz Luhrmann, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan. After creating a frenzy among his fans at the New York premiere of the film, Bachchan has now reportedly won over the stern critics in Hollywood too!
Scott Foundas of Variety Magazine wrote: “By far the liveliest work in the film comes from two actors with only a few minutes of screen time between them: the lithe, long-limbed newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as gabby golf pro Jordan Baker, and, in a single scene that marks his belated Hollywood debut, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as the flamboyant Jewish ‘gambler,’ Meyer Wolfsheim.”
Other critics, including The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy also wrote highly of Amitabh Bachchan, and the film which “feels vibrantly alive while remaining quite faithful to the spirit, if not the letter or the tone, of its source.”
Mr. Bachchan himself was ever the ideal of modesty, when he recently revealed he didn’t charge anything for the film. ““My role is hardly that of a minute. A year-and-half ago, Baz Luhrmann called me and said he has a small role for me, which he felt was not worthy of me. He nevertheless asked if I would do it and I readily agreed. I did it as a gesture. It is not remunerative. I have not charged anything.”
A source close to Bachchan says, “He’s extremely delighted with the way the film has shaped up. And even though his role may not be as big, he has left a mark and in his own style has made an impact.”
