The Cairo Opera House wore a festive look and erupted with "Love you Amitabh" chants as the 72-year-old actor, who has a huge following in Egypt, took centre stage for a conversation with noted Indian journalist Sidharth Bhatia about Hindi cinema, his career and the changing face of movies.
"I once asked my father why Hindi cinema is so endearing to people. In the later years of his life he used to come and watch every film of mine every evening. He said 'I get poetic justice in three hours. You and I don't get poetic justice perhaps in a lifetime, perhaps in several lifetimes'.
The actor said in Hindi films good always triumphs over evil.
"Our stories are also centred around human emotions. The family value, the culture which is so prominent," he said.
Bachchan, who has been a part of the Indian film industry for over 40 years now and seen the different phases of the business, said while there have been several improvements over the years in terms of technology, writing has suffered a blow in recent times.
"Technically, there has been a lot of improvements. Earlier, we did not have so many facilities and now with the opening of the economy there are so many latest technologies ... However, the poetry and sanctity of the words seems to have lost its way now. The writing has gone down...," he said.
Bachchan is best known for playing the 'angry young man' in Hindi cinema. However, he said he never really went looking for such stories rather the films were reflective of the times he lived in.
"I was just another actor looking for a job. I was very fortunate to work with these directors who had great story ideas. I think sometimes cinema reflects what happens in society.
"What was most prominent in most of these films were the person from way down and not very prominent socially had the opportunity to rise and take on the establishment, take on the higher ups and that is what most people dream about."
Bachchan, who is on a three-day visit to Egypt, is set to receive an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Arts here today.
