I am not a salesman: Amitabh Bachchan

Mumbai: He has endorsed almost every consumer product right from hair oil to cars, but megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he is not a salesman. The 69-year-old actor is amused by Bollywood's current obsession with marketing films and the crores spent to draw attention of the audience.

"Now... gosh I fail to even imagine the various 'technologies' that are put into use for attention to be drawn towards a particular film. Any and every medium that has the patronage or attention of the masses, is exploited for the benefit of a film on release."

"Spend tons of money, almost the entire budget of the film at times, to get in the audience for that crucial first week and rest," he wrote in his blog.

Amitabh will be seen sharing the screen space with Hollywood stars Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio in the film.
Amitabh plays Meyer Wolfsheim in the film.
He lately posted on his blog, "I play Meyer Wolfsheim for about a few seconds... yaa...by the time you look down on your popcorn to pick another morsel, I'd be gone from the film... he he... kinda short service."
It's his debut international project in an acting career of four decades.
Even if he has a blink-and-you-miss-it role in 'The Great Gatsby', Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan is happy about sharing the frame with Hollywood biggies Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann 'The Great Gatsby' will hit the screens in December 2012.
The movie is a big screen adaptation of American author F Scott Fitzgerald classic of the same name.
The film follows would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings.
Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan.
Nick is soon drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits.
DiCaprio stars in the title role of Gatsby.
Maguire plays the narrator Nick Carraway while Carey Mulligan stars as Daisy.
Amitabh Bachchan is delighted to be associated with Baz Luhrmann.
The first trailer of the film is already out.
From costumes to the sets, everything looks lavish.
It seems Baz Luhrmann has paid close attention to every detail in the film.
'The Great Gatsby' is one of the most talked about films of the year.
The film hit the screens on December 25, 2012.
Christmas holidays will surely boost the collections of the film.
Craig Armstrong has composed the music of the film.
Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce have written the screenplay.
It will be good to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire on screen together.
The film has been produced by Baz Luhrmann, Lucy Fisher, Douglas Wick and Catherine Martin.
Most of the film has been shot in Sydney.
The cast and crew of the film has high expectations from the film.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Amitabh Bachchan, Carey Mulligan or Tobey Maguire, who do you think will be most impressive in the film.
A still from the movie 'The Great Gatsby'.
Watch out for 'The Great Gatsby' this December.

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The 69-year-old actor is amused by Bollywood\'s current obsession with marketing films at a grand scale.

Bachchan talked about how actors like Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan leave no stone unturned to promote their films.

"During the time I was hosting 'Big Boss', Akshay had come along to be a part of the programme to promote one of his films. After finishing his stint he needed to rush back to Mumbai to attend another programme on TV for the same promotion. I asked him why he was rushing around like this. He said, almost apologetically what to do sir ji, one has to do this!!

"On a casual conversation with Shah Rukh once, he told Abhishek I think 'I am very good at marketing, if you ever need any help on that, let me know'," the veteran actor said.

Bachchan said he is not capable of such marketing but has to succumb to it unwillingly due to the demands of the times.

"I am not a salesman and to expect this talent from me would be wishful thinking. But the region and area of work that we function in, has made it mandatory for all of us to succumb unwillingly into the depths of its operations."

"I asked Rajinikanth once what he thought of all this... He gave me a simple answer. 'I am an actor Amit ji, not a salesman. What is the need to go and sell myself. If a film is good it will be patronised, if not it shall not. No amount of selling shall drive a paying audience into the theatre, if basic factors are not in place.' End of argument!," Bachchan said.