The prestigious Royal Institute Of Amsterdam is hosting a festival of Amitabh Bachchan films this week.

The four films are Karan Johar's "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham", Rakesh Mehra's "Aks", Ravi Chopra's "Baghban" and Govind Nihalani's hard-hitting exposition on communal riots, "Dev".

The authorities there were apparently keen on screening Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Black", which is due for release in December. But "Black" isn't ready.

Says Bachchan: "They had earlier hosted my festival at Amsterdam about six years ago. Apparently I have some fans there." The actor leaves for Amsterdam Wednesday despite a severe eye infection.

Back home, another biography, "Amitabh and I", by late comedian Mehmood's brother Anwar Ali has hit the market.

Says Bachchan, "Actually Mehmood saab, his brother and I spent a lot of time together in my early days in Mumbai. Mehmood saab's sister-in-law is the one to put this book together. I don't mind writings about me by people who know me. But often relative strangers take it on themselves to write about me. That is not fair."

Bachchan has also lent his voice to the poems of Rabindranath Tagore. "The late Anand Shankar's wife Tanushree is doing a ballet where she has put some poems of Tagore to music and dance. She needed a voice. I've done the needful. I always feel honoured to lend my voice to worthy causes."

Meanwhile, his birthday is around the corner and apparently the company Eveready is planning to present him with a two-kilometre long card.

"I've no idea what this is. It came out in the press. But I'll believe it when I see it," says Bachchan.

While talking about the plight of farmers in Andhra Pradesh for whom he donated Rs 1.1 mn he says, "I wish we can focus on much larger issues than me. When I was shooting in Visakhapatnam for Anil Sharma's 'Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon', I read in the papers that farmers in Andhra Pradesh are committing suicide for loans for relatively small amounts of money like Rs.30,000, which they can't repay.

"I was almost in tears. Why can't we all extend a small hand of support to the needy?" The Rs.1.1 million donated by Bachchan has paid off 42 Andhra Pradesh farmers.

"There're other big industrialists who can come forward to bail out other farmers. Just rustle their pockets and lives are saved. It's unfortunate that I can't do more for people. The minute I do, political meanings are read into my action."