Amitabh Bachchan speaks about his film with Baz Luhrmann

Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby is the Big B's first film in 3D. The veteran actor says, "Yes, the film is in 3D and is perhaps a first for many reasons, primarily because it's the first time that a mainstream drama from Hollywood is being done in 3D as opposed to the usual fantasy films like Avatar etc."

Big B has no plans of doing more Hollywood films yet. "No other offers have come my way from Hollywood before and since Baz was very keen I do this, I went ahead. It's nothing big, just a small appearance. Earlier, Mira Nair had come across with Shantaram, finalised dates and shared the script etc. But then she withdrew. The same with Deepa Mehta and Kamagata Maru .She came across very keenly, discussed and met several times, shared details and then suddenly withdrew. I do not think you should look at this as a step into Hollywood. It's just a gesture of friendship," says Bachchan.

According to a source close to the Big B, he is doing the Luhrmann film free of cost, as a friendly gesture to the director who is a great fan of Bachchan and Bollywood, in that order.

Reluctant to talk about the project the Big B finally speaks up. "Contractual obligations prevent me from talking to the media, which is why I have not divulged anything. If the studio Warner Bros gives something out, that is all that I can disclose."

He does divulge that he and Luhrmann hit it off from the start. "Baz Luhrmann last year was on a private visit to India and dropped by at my office to meet me and presented me some wonderful paintings done by an artist he was accompanied by. It was merely an informal casual meet."

Then in August this year Luhrmann called the Big B and wondered if he would do a role in The Great Gatsby. Says the Big B, "He asked me, would I do a small part in his film? It's just a small scene with Leonardo DiCaprio and Toby Macguire, of Meyer Wolfsheim, an iconic character of the time patterned on Rothstein, a very impressive and well known person of the New York underworld mafia."

The Big B agreed "I have agreed to do this just as a friendly appearance and went across to Sydney late last month for rehearsals and hair make-up and costume tests. The reading workshop requires for the entire cast to assemble and get familiar with the script and do a read through."

Big B would be shooting for the film in mid- October for a couple of days.