/> It's a triumphant home-coming of sorts for the Amitabh Bachchan as he heads for Kolkata on 9 March to shoot for Riruparno Ghosh's The Last Lear.

"That isn't the final title. It may be finally entitled Curtain Call. Whatever its title I'm very excited about returning to Kolkata.The last time I shot there was for Dulal Guha's Do Anjane nearly thirty years ago. I also shot one of my first films Saudagar in Kolkata, as too a song for Yaraana at the Ritu and I were meaning to work together for many years.

Finally we both zeroed in on a subject we liked. The film is inspired by a play by Utpal Dutt. I play a theatre actor who had excelled as King Lear on stage. I'm a fading theatre actor who gets a film offer.

I like the subject because there has constantly been friendly friction between theatre and cinema. Theatre actors feel cinema to be a compromise. Some actors like Utpal Dutt, Naseer and Paresh have been able to bridge the gap between cinema and theatre.

How fortunate that they've been able to do so. Not every actor has the guts and guile to do both. This is the dilemma that Ritu wants to bring in. My character has to contend with going from theatre to cinema. Interestingly I play a Shakespearean actor."

Even more interestingly Ralph Fiennes had noticed a Shakespearean edge to the Big B's performance in Eklavya recently.

The Big B laughs, "I don't think my performance in Eklavya had a Shakespearean edge. However it's interesting that you mention this. Because a fan from Soith Africa has compared Eklavya to Macbeth and Hamlet.

So maybe Eklavya looked Shakespearean. Perhaps Fiennes who has done Shakespeare in theatre. Maybe that's why discerned it in Eklavya. I don't know what chords are touched when the camera is clicked on."

"The opportunities now provided to me are immense. As one of fans recently pointed out, this is a phase where I'm getting a chance to better myself as an actor. Earlier when I was doing the conventional leading men.

I didn't get opportunities like Black, Nishabd and Ritu's film. So yes, I do want to grab at these opportunities. Perhaps today's generation hasn't seen a 65 year old Indian actor play these kinds of roles. Hence the dissent debates and the applause."