Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Tuesday morning rang the bell at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) as part of the promotions of “Yudh”, a TV show which marks his debut in the fiction space on the small screen. He said he felt privileged.
“I am extremely honoured and privileged to be here at Bombay Stock Exchange,” Mr. Bachchan told reporters in Mumbai.
Dressed in a formal suit, the Big B rang the bell at 9.15 a.m.
The actor, who essays the role of real estate giant Yudhisthir Sikarwar, owner of Shanti Constructions Pvt. Ltd., even listed the fictional company on BSE as a promotional move for the day.
“I am playing the owner of Shanti Constructions in the serial and around 10,000 employees works under this firm,” he said of the character he plays in the Sony Entertainment Television show.
Mr. Bachchan lit the welcome lamp along with N.P. Singh, CEO, Multi-Screen Media; Ashish Kumar Chauhan, managing director and CEO, BSE Ltd and Sudhakar Rao, chairman, BSE Institute Limited.
As the countdown to the start of trading began and as soon as the electronic clock struck, the 71-year-old rang the bell amongst huge cheers. He even stood up for the National Anthem before ringing the opening bell.
‘Yudh’, directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, has Anurag Kashyap as the creative director and it is co-produced by Amitabh’s Saraswati Creations with Endemol India.
Talking about his experience on the show, Big B said, “I am doing a TV serial for the first time. I have done films, reality shows and now I wanted to do something on TV and I got this opportunity. It’s a very different story and I hope the viewers like it.”
The actor says he was anxious before starting with the project. “I think as a creative person we used to get anxious and nervous before starting something new. I can only hope viewers will be happy watching it and if not, I will work hard next time.”
He even unveiled a poster of the show, which follows the life of Yudhishthir, a real estate baron, who has recently been diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder. The show’s story traces his journey, his struggle with his collapsing health, his battle with business rivals and his complicated family equations.
The show is likely to go on air from July.
