Amitabh Bachchan is a mega star and his illness comes with a bill fitting his stature: Rs 100 crore. That’s the amount locked up in his films and plans of the Unforgettable tour in India, all of which will be on hold now that Bachchan has been advised one-and-a-half months’ rest.
“It is suggested that he take complete bed rest and stay away from starch and spicy food. Since Mr Bachchan is disciplined anyway, he should recover quite quickly,” says one of the doctors on Bachchan’s consultancy panel at Leelavati Hospital, Mumbai.
At present, the actor is working on Leena Yadav’s Teen Patti, a Rs 25-crore film, Sujoy Ghosh’s Aladdin, a Rs 45-crore film, and Shoojit Sircar’s Shoebite, a Rs 25-crore film.
Other films he has signed include Time Machine, Pocket Maar, Aankhen 2, Bhairavi, Struggler, Talisman and his home production, The Legend of Kunal.
The budgets for the films on the floor will rise, unless they have an insurance against the leading artist, says a Bollywood trade analyst not wishing to be named. Manish Porwal, CEO, Percept Talent Management, says, “Insuring the artist is usual in Hollywood, but not in Bollywood, as the premium is quite high.
