Speculation
about
Amitabh
Bachchan
turning
down
the
role
of
the
game-show
host
in
Danny
Boyle's
Slumdog
Millionaire
finally
comes
to
an
end.
The
Big
B
confirms
that
the
offer
never
came
to
him.
Strange,
considering
he
plays
a
very
important
part
in
the
plot
as
the
mega-icon
of
the
all
the
slum
dwellers
of
Boyle's
Big
Mumbai
Drama.
The
Big
B
would've
been
the
most
natural
choice
for
the
part
of
the
game-show
host
especially
since
he
has
hosted
the
show
Kaun
Banega
Crorepati
(which
forms
such
an
integral
part
of
Slumdog
Millionaire)
with
such
spectacular
success
in
real
life.
So
far
we
had
heard
that
the
Big
B
and
Shahrukh
Khan
who
have
hosted
the
globally
successful
game
show,
were
approached
for
the
host's
part.
However,
the
film's
casting
director
Loveleen
Tandon
now
confirms
that
the
mega-stars
were
never
approached
for
the
character
as
he
is
much
too
villainous.
Says
Tandon,
"In
fact
the
game
show
host
is
far
more
negative
in
the
original
novel
(by
Vikas
Swarup).
But
we
changed
that.
Still,
audiences
the
world
over
would
have
been
put
off
if
they
say
Mr.
Bachchan
playing
this
game
show
host
who
wants
the
young
hero
Jamal
to
lose
at
any
cost."
She
continues,
"We
changed
all
of
that
and
still
found
the
role
unsuitable
for
Mr.
Bachchan.
For
God's
sake,
he
plays
the
national
icon
in
the
film.
We
couldn't
show
him
as
cunning
game-show
host.
We
even
thought
of
changing
the
identity
of
the
slum-boy's
icon
from
Mr
Bachchan
so
he
could
play
the
game-show
host."
"We
decided
against
that.
Mr.
Bachchan
is
too
much
of
our
hero
and
too
representative
of
Bollywood
globally
to
be
sacrificed
for
a
character's
sake.
We
preferred
to
retain
his
character
of
the
entertainment
badshah
and
cast
someone
else
as
the
host."
Anil
Kapoor
was
roped
in
for
the
game-show
host's
role.
"But
we
did
need
Mr.
Bachchan
to
make
an
appearance
as
himself," reveals
Loveleen
Tandon.
It
was
for
a
scene
where
a
mass
of
slum
dwellers
spot
"Amitabh
Bachchan
ka
helicopter"
hovering
in
the
air.
The
icon
had
to
descend
and
sign
the
young
hero's
autograph.
"For
that,"
reveals
the
casting
director.
"We
approached
Feroz
Abbas
Khan,
the
guy
who
has
made
a
career
out
of
impersonating
Mr.
Bachchan.
He's
uncanny
in
his
imitation
of
the
icon.
Even
the
way
the
duplicate
signs
the
autograph
is
exactly
the
way
the
original
does
it."
Story first published: Monday, January 19, 2009, 14:44 [IST]