UNITED KINGDOM: Indian super star Amitabh Bachchan receives honorary doctorate and special government award during a trip to the UK

Record ID: 644797

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Indian super star Amitabh Bachchan receives honorary doctorate and special government award during a trip to the UK
  • Date: 27th July 2006
  • Summary: BACHCHAN STANDING OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT, RECEIVING PRINT OF BRITISH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT SIGNED BY TONY BLAIR
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVABFN68SWGUGEOS5VK1GKYF97JI
  • Story Text: Indian film icon Amitabh Bachchan on Friday (July 21) dismissed the notion that his country's films should aspire to win Oscars, saying that the Indian film industry was more creative than Hollywood.
    India's prolific movie industry turns out about 1,000 films in 12 languages each year. No Indian film has ever won an Oscar, although 'Mother India' and 'Lagaan' have been nominated.
    Bachchan told a news conference at the Houses of Parliament in London he did not believe that an Indian film winning an Oscar was the "ultimate recognition for any great film", adding that it was offensive to suggest that it was.
    The Bollywood superstar's comments came as he received two awards during the UK trip, including an honorary Doctorate of Arts from the De Montfort University in Leicester.
    64-year-old Bachchan received the doctorate from the Faculty of Computing Sciences and Engineering, and was conferred by the Chancellor, Baroness Usha Prasha in a ceremony marking the graduation of 300 De Montfort students. Previous honorands of the University include Nelson Mandela and Alan Yentob.
    The award is in recognition of his career, contribution to Indian cinema, and humanitarian work including for UNICEF. This is the first time an Indian actor has received an honorary degree from a British university.
    "This recognition to me and this honour that has come my way is really a feat which should go, and credit should go to the Indian film industry and its value and its presence that it's created, not just the expatriate audience, but their colleagues and their friends, local friends in the country of their habitat," said Bachchan.
    Bachchan was also honoured by the British government's Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, for services to Indian culture and the creative industries.
    Speaking to reporters at the British Houses of Parliament, Bachchan said he had never been approached by Hollywood, but would be keen to take up the right offer.
    "Well, if it's something that's worth considering, I most certainly shall," he said.
    He told of how much he enjoyed working with his son on films.
    "It's wonderful. You get up in the morning, you pack your make-up bags together, you eat breakfast, sit in the same car, go to the same studio, share the same makeup room, get in front of the camera together, just a wonderful atmosphere. I think I'm really privileged to have had this opportunity, and thankful to God, that I am able to see this during my lifetime," he said.
    Bachchan also touched on recent health scares, saying he worried about things just like anyone else.
    "Health is a very personal thing. It would be stupid of me to say that I'm fine and that nothing happened to me. But yes, when incidents like this happen, and you're confined to bed, the first thought that comes to you of course, the damage that it's going to cause to your pending work, your commitments and how you're going to be able to get over them. Your commitment to your family, and what's going to happen to them were something to go wrong," he said.
    Following the media conference, Bachchan put his signature on a print of the Houses of Parliament, also signed by Prime Minister Tony Blair, which was auctioned off at a dinner later that evening to raise money for the victims of last week's Mumbai blasts. ENDS.
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