One name which brings a smile to people`s faces is that of Amitabh Bachchan`s - be it the producers, the directors or the millions of Indian fans across the globe. And why not? After all, a producer who has his moolah at stake or the director desperately looking for an opportunity to satisfy his creative urge and lastly the eager beaver fans can only bank on a saleable talented star actor.

But then rarely does the actor agree to risk his screen image for an offbeat role. The latest director who gets lucky is the small budget film maker Nagesh Kukkunoor of Hyderabad Blues and Rockford fame, who has signed the mega star for what looks like India`s first `food flick` tentatively titled Tandoor. The film about an ageing cook and a lawyer explores "adult love in a unique relationship."

Not many people know that it was none other than poet lyricist scriptwriter Javed Akhtar who almost signed the Big B and wife Shabana Azmi in a Bollywood remake of the Robert James Waller novel The Bridges of Madison County some years back but the project fell through for unknown reasons. Let`s wait and see what this unusual combination cooks up this time!