“We need stars like him to keep the magic of cinema alive”

People talk about his angry young man persona and his comic flair but it’s a scene in Dostana (right) where he’s teasing Zeenat Aman that, for me, is the essence of Amitabh Bachchan—sarcasm delivered with a poker face.

For me, he is more special than the characters he plays. While writing, I preserve the myth of Amitabh Bachchan. How can you bring a lot of Bachchan into the characters? Otherwise, what is the point of having a phenomenon like him and losing him in the character? You have to do justice to him, even if you go overboard sometimes and keep correcting yourself on the way.

We get along because we don’t talk much. He is a man of few words, so am I. I don’t want to be his friend, I pride myself in being his biggest fan. I like the mystique of Amitabh Bachchan and don’t want to crack it. With many actors, once you crack it, you see them as human beings. We need stars like him to keep the magic of cinema alive. I can’t find that magic without him. Open your mouth, say the words, without expression but still convey a hundred thousand emotions, that’s Bachchan for you. ■