'The Last Lear' premieres in Kolkata

Kolkata, Sep 12 (IANS) Rituparno Ghosh's "The Last Lear" was premiered Friday night here in the presence of the movie's cast and crew, including Amitabh Bachchan, who said that "in this film for the first time I am playing an actor".

"We have deliberately organised the 'red carpet' premiere of `The Last Lear' in Kolkata for the sole reason that the film was shot in Kolkata and the story was based here," film's director Rituparno Ghosh told reporters at a press conference before the premiere.

Hundreds of people poured in at a city multiplex to catch a glimpse of Amitabh Bachchan, who is the movie's protagonist.

The film is a tribute to the veteran theatre actor Utpal Dutt who was obsessed with William Shakespeare's plays.

"It is inspired by his play 'Ajker Shahjahan' (Today's Shahjahan). Though I can never even attempt to be in his shoes, I tried to do justice to the character of an old Shakespearean theatre actor," said Bachchan.

Bachchan said the premiere of the film at Kolkata is special to him.

"Kolkata is my second home. It gave me my career, identity as an actor and of course, my wife. Besides in this film for the first time I am playing an actor," he said.

"Hence I am anxious to see the reactions of public and delighted to be a part of the premiere show Friday night. This is the second time after the Hindi film 'Agneepath' that my film is being premiered here before Mumbai," Bachchan added.

The film is a story of a 75-year-old theatre actor Harish Mishra (Amitabh Bachchan) who is obsessed with William Shakespeare's plays. He always wanted to play King Lear but ended up playing a clown in a young director's (Arjun Rampal) film.

The film's other actors, Arjun Rampal, Divya Dutta and Jisshu Sengupta, were present.

Actors Priety Zinta, Shefali Shah and Prosenjit, who were also a part of the film, could not make it to the premiere.

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The Last Lear