by Subhash K Jha
Not too many people know this. But another Amitabh Bachchan starrer released this week.

The premiere of the mega-star's first Kannada film ‘Amrithdhare' took place in Bangalore this Friday. Audiences in the theatres went berserk when they heard India's mega-star speaking in Kannada. In the key theatres like Sagar audiences jumped on to their seats when the Bachchan episode started.

"Really?" Mr. Bachchan, shooting in far-away Rajasthan is incredulous. "It's hard to believe. Mine was only a walk-on part. I just slip into the film and slip out. But it's nice to know audiences in Bangalore have reacted so positively to my small presence in the film. I love the city of Bangalore and its people."

Going back to the Rajasthan deserts for the shooting of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya gives the film's leading man a sense of déjà vu. "This is where it all started in a way," he says reminiscing about the good old days of Sunil Dutt's Reshma Aur Shera when the entire unit would hang around together.

"It was so much fun back then... all of us Sunil Dutt Saab, Waheedaji, Raakhee and me had loads of fun. Now for Eklavya I feel the same sense of bonding with Vinod Chopra's unit. The entire unit –Vinod, Pradeep Sarkar, Jackie Shroff, Saif and Vidya Balan—feels like one family... We lost two days of the schedule when it rained incessantly. But we've two days extra to make up for the loss."

The film earlier entitled Yagna has now been titled Eklavya. Says AB, "Yes, that's the name of my character. I don't know if Vinod means to honour me by naming the film after my character. If he does, then I'm honoured. We've wanted to work together for a long time. It feels wonderful to be working with new directors. I just completed Ek Ajnabee with Apoorva Lakhiya. Vinod and Apoorva belong to different generations of filmmakers. It feels good to be bridging that gap."

Incidentally both Eklavya and Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna are in sync- sound. "I think live sound is the best method to work. It captures real sounds and allows an actor's voice quality to come into play. I think our films are getting extremely techno-savvy."