Connecting with Mr Bachchan

If you thought that Amitabh Bachchan was a perfectionist, then Bachchan himself was astonished to see what a perfectionist Hollywood legend Ben Kingsley was. The two will be seen together for the first time in Ambika Hinduja’s forthcoming film, Teen Patti.

“He (Sir Ben Kingsley) is an exceptional talent, pretty unassuming and deeply talented. He is a joy to be with,” says Bachchan about the Oscar award winner, adding an anecdote: “Before we came on the sets, we used to have readings in our own rooms. These were the times when we used to rehearse together. It had happened so many times that I was not prepared with my lines but Ben (Kingsley) was always ready.”

According to Bachchan, Ben was always ready for rehearsals before him and that is something, it seems, that made the two artistes bond too. The shooting with Ben and Amitabh happened in London earlier this year. “Oh! He was always ready for rehearsals and there were so many times, he would say, ‘Amitabh, let’s rehearse it one more time’ or would say, ‘Come on, let’s do it this way’. He was never tired of rehearsing even and
I thought it was quite generous of him,” Bachchan adds.

Big B and Sir Ben bond over the card game of Teen Patti which will see Amitabh breaking the “game code”. Amitabh plays a math professor in the film.