Bollywood's Bachchan to appear in Hollywood's 'Gatsby'
Bachchan, who has appeared in 180 films over the last four decades, will play the role of Meyer Wolfsheim, a minor character in the book who is a shady business associate of the main character Jay Gatsby. Wolfsheim was based on the real-life New York crime boss Arnold Rothstein, who fixed the 1919 World Series.
Bachchan will appear in one scene and has declined compensation because he is friends with the director, Baz Luhrmann, the Australian filmmaker of Moulin Rouge (2001) fame. Luhrmann is a long-time fan of Bollywood, and its influences on his work are clear. He has said that his fascination with Hindi cinema began when he saw the Bachchan-starrer Sholay (1975).
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the film as Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy, and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway.
Filming is underway in Australia. It is set to release in 2012 and will be distributed in 2D and 3D.
Bachchan has downplayed the significance of his Hollywood debut, calling it a "friendly gesture," because he doesn't believe Indian cinema—the largest film industry in the world—needs any validation from Hollywood.
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September 15, 2011
