9 Sep – Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan is set to appear in his first Hollywood film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in an upcoming adaptation of the classic novel "The Great Gatsby" directed by Baz Luhrmann, according to a report on Beyond Bollywood's website.
The 68-year-old star of popular 1970's Bollywood hits "Sholay" and "Deewaar" will join DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan in Australian director Baz Luhrmann's version of the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The report adds that shooting has started this week and Bachchan will play Meyer Wolfsheim, a shadowy organised crime figure who helps the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio) make his money. Bachchan who has a fanatical following in India and among Bollywood cinema fans abroad, has appeared in over 150 Bollywood films thus far. Tobey Maguire of the "Spider-Man" franchise plays Nick Carraway, the would-be writer and narrator of the novel. The film is being made on a US $150 million budget and due for release in 2012 worldwide. "The Great Gatsby" has been adapted for cinema four times previously, including the popular 1974 remake starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow.