When Richard Attenborough hugged Big B

New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan's performance in "The Last Lear" impressed Sir Richard Attenborough to the extent that he could not help but hug him.

The film received a standing ovation at its official selection and screening at the London Film Festival.

When Amitabh Bachchan, who was present at the screening, was bowing to accept the audiences appreciation, he was informed that a very important celebrity wanted to meet him backstage, said a statement released here Monday.

Bachchan excused himself momentarily and was stunned to find veteran actor Sir Richard Attenborough waiting to hug him and congratulate him for his performance in the film.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh, the film is based on Utpal Dutt's play "Aajker Shahjahan" and highlights the different acting skills necessary for theatre and cinema.

The film also stars Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Divya Dutta, Shefali Shah and Jisshu Sengupta.

"The Last Lear" has also been screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (2007) and the International Film Festival of India (2007) and is slated to release Sep 12 worldwide.

However, considering the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) threaten to disrupt and stop the screening of all films starring the Bachchan family members in Maharashtra, producer Arnindam Chaudhuri fears he may suffer losses to the tune of Rs.70 million.

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The Last Lear