I still get sleepless nights before a shot: Amitabh Bachchan

Mumbai: He is been there, done that, and hence no one would think there’s any role left to challenge megastar Amitabh Bahchan, but he says even today the actor in him gets anxious before a shot the way he did four decades ago.

The 73-year-old star, in fact, enjoys the ‘self-pressure’ and anxiety, and he says he would never want it any other way.

“Every film is a test, an examination for me. ‘Pink’ (his next) is no different. It gives me sleepless nights and anxiety before each shot that needs to be taken. That is the way I would like it to be. Nothing comes easy in life. Certainly not a hard hitting film,” Bachchan told PTI in an interview.

The National Award-winner will be seen playing a lawyer in “Pink”, which is about three young women fighting a apathetic society.

From having the film revolve around his character, to now getting roles, which lend support to the stories, Bachchan is in a really interesting phase in his career.

Filmmakers like Shoojit Sircar, who directed him “Piku”, an adorable slice-of-the-life drama about a father-daughter relationship, and has produced “Pink” are coming up with meaty, layered characters for the megastar.

Asked whether the transition from being the leading man to a character star has been difficult for him, Bachchan says he does not look at it that way.

“It’s a state of mind that needs to be understood. Each artist has his or her own conception of it. I need to work and I am fortunate to get it, so I work, character role or not.”

Coming to “Pink”, which releases tomorrow, Bachchan says he agreed to the movie within minutes as he found the concept of courtroom thriller very appealing.

“It story was first narrated to me by Shoojit Sircar and it took me minutes to agree. I did not ask what role I was going to play or what the story or screenplay would be,” he says.

“Pink” is his third release of the year after “Wazir” and “Te3n”.

Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, best known for his Bengali dramas “Aparajita Tumi”, “Antaheen” and “Anuranan”, is making his Hindi directorial debut with the movie, which besides Big B, stars Taapsee Pannu, Kriti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang and Angad Bedi.

PTI