President watches 'Bhoothnath Returns' at R Bhavan with Bachchan
18 April 2014 4:59 PM IST
Pranab Mukherjee spent a relaxed evening with Bachchan at Rashtrapati Bhavan
President Pranab Mukherjee. Photo: AP
New Delhi: Amidst the hustle and bustle of Lok Sabha elections, President Pranab Mukherjee spent a relaxed evening with Amitabh Bachchan watching his latest movie 'Bhootnath Returns' at Rashtrapati Bhavan here. 71-year-old Bachchan plays a ghost-turned-politician who enters the electoral fray to rid the country of corruption and other ills which he finds rooted deeply.
The movie, released on April 11, also sends a strong message to the viewers about the importance of voting. Bachchan said it was a rare honour for him and the crew that the President consented to watch the film at a private screening in Rashtrapati Bhawan along with a select gathering.
"We weren't expecting that the President would agree to a screening here, considering his busy schedule. But this is pertinent to the current scenario and is topical and relevant at present. I wanted the head of nation to watch it and give his opinion about it," he said at the screening last night. It is about an elderly man who dies and goes to the ghost kingdom where he is mocked at for his failure as a ghost, as he was unsuccessful in scaring off a kid, he said.
He decides to redeem himself when ghosts tease him and ends up searching for a child to terrify. He befriends 14-year-old Parth Bhalerao, who plays role of 'Akhrot', a slum kid, and helps him take on the country's most powerful politician.
"It details how the duo (ghost and the kid) realise the depth of issues like corruption rooted in the country and how the slum kid coerces Bhootnath to fight an election," a
smiling Bachchan told the audience.
Bachchan's daughter Shweta Nanda was also present on the occasion of the movie screening. Later after the screening, the President presented special memento to the Director Nitesh of 'Chillar Party' fame, Producer Ravi Chopra's wife Renu Chopra and Bhalerao, who made his debut in Bollywood with this film. Marathi short film 'Khalti Doka Varti Paay' (Upside Down), which which was screened at the Cannes last year, shot him into fame. He has also worked in Marathi films such as 'Tukaram' and 'Aajcha Divas Majha'.
In his blog after the function, Bachchan wrote that he was delighted to say that the President "enjoyed it immensely. He applauded after the film was over, as did the entire select invitees and said it was such an apt and beautifully constructed film, keeping in mind the current election scenario in the country."
Going down memory lane, Bachchan recollected that he lived around Rashtrapati Bhavan during his childhood. "... as I drove and passed all these important landmarks to the President's estate for the showing of the film, Shweta by my side, it was a delight filled with nostalgia to point out those times and places to her.
"Time and circumstance today do not allow us the luxury of these intimate moments, when we could describe to the next and the next generation, what and where we lived and existed and what we did with ourselves and how."
"....I remember the 40's 50's 60's 70's ? but not the details of what transpired yesterday. Strange!!," Bachchan narrated in his blog. 'Bhootnath Returns' is a sequel to the 2008 horror-comedy film 'Bhootnath', which also starred Juhi Chawla and Shah Rukh besides Bachchan playing the friendly ghost.
The film having Boman Irani as a corrupt politician, Shahrukh Khan in a supporting role also has a cameo appearance by Ranbir Kapoor.
( Source : PTI )
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