/> It is Sareeka who plays the Big B's better-half in Shoojit Sircar's new film currently being shot in Simla.

The mega-star has for some time been somewhat concerned about the absence of suitably strong and charismatic co-stars.

According to a source close to the Big B, "Rekha, he won't act with. He has done enough films with Jaya Bachchan and Jaya Prada. Hema and he were a smashing success in Baghbaan but a flop in Babul.

Dimple Kapadia and Sharmila Tagore don't click with Mr Bachchan. Hence he has lately gone into an experimental mode with co-stars, like Shefali Shah in Waqt, Rani Mukherjee in Black, Tabu in Cheeni Kum and Preity Zinta in The Last Lear."

After her bravura performance in Parzania, Sareeka is an actress whom the Big B has wanted to pair himself with for some time now. The opportunity came after Tabu said no to Shoojit Sircar's untitled film.

The pair is kindling unique chemistry in the frozen snowscapes of Simla and Manali.

At 64, and with two major near-fatal illnesses behind him Amitabh Bachchan continues to surprise everyone including himself, with his zest energy and drive for excellence.

Consider this. All of last week he shot from early morning till dusk for Shoojit Sircar's untitled film (earlier called Shoebite).

Then in-between he flew to a remote village in UP for the inauguration of the girls's school named after his daughter-in-law... and rushed back to join the unit in Simla....all within a week.

Says the deeply-appreciative director Shoojit Sircar, "Amitji is turning out to be a role model for all of us over here. In Manali and now in Simla we're frozen to our bones.

Adding to our woes is the fact that all the scenes are being shot outdoors in the snow where most of us can't even see let alone feel anything. Amitji takes to the camera as though the freezing weather was just a prop.

He's the first one to reach the location. He rehearses rigorously in the freezing temperature with Sareekaji who plays his wife."

The film is about an autumnal couple rekindling their love for another in the snom-called climes of Manali and Simla.

The last time the Big B was in Simla it was to shoot a portion of Sanjay Bhansali's Black. Snowfall had to be recreated in the studio for that film since the camera lenses were obstructed by the snow.

Shoojit has no such problems. "I'm not shooting snowfall. Just capturing these two aging people in the snow. I find the snow very romantic.

In fact I shot my first film Yahan with Jimmy Shergil and Minissha Lamba in the supposedly forbidden snow-scape of Kashmir."

Jimmy Shergil also features in Sircar's second film. "He has a beautiful role I owe it to him after the way he stood by me during Yahan.

And Diya Mirza plays a beautiful role.Also on board are Gulzar Saab and Shantanu Moitra who wrote the lyrics and composed the music for Yahan. I couldn't make my second film without them."

As for Sareeka, the director just can't stop singing the neglected actress' praises. "She brings a certain freshness to the film. Amitji and Sareekaji look so much like an abiding couple I wonder why nobody thought of casting them together before!"