Amitabh Bachchan has a million Dollar question for all of those who had been asking Big B of Indian cinema to pack his bags and go west.

"What will I do in Hollywood," he asks. "Why will they take me in their films? Do we take them in our films? If they ever give me a role, it will be that of a cab driver or someone selling newspapers. I think they will give us good roles only when Indians start playing an important role in their country."

According to him: "Indian cinema is the only cinema, besides Hollywood, that is flourishing. See German, Japanese or British Cinema. They have been decimated by Hollywood. We should be proud of ourselves. Our cinema is dignified and respectable. The number of people watching Indian cinema is much higher than those watching Hollywood."

Amitabh was talking to the press on the eve of his new release, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon.

When asked about his cameo in Veer-Zaara, where he spoke the immaculate Punjabi he said: "My mother is a Sikh. My mamas and mausis are Sardars. I also studied in Delhi for 15 years. So I know Punjabi and it was not difficult for me to speak the language."