Amitabh regrets not doing more films with Vidhu Vinod

Mumbai, April 5 (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan regrets having worked just once with filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

"In the past 30 years, he has worked with me in only one film. I regret that. I hope he gives a thought over that again," the 69-year-old told reporters here Wednesday at the screening of "Eklavya: The Royal Guard". The film was shown at the Vidhu Vinod Chopra Film Festival to mark 30 years of the filmmaker's production company.

Amitabh played the lead role in "Eklavya: The Royal Guard", which was sent as India's official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category in 2007. The film had also marked Chopra's return to direction after seven years.

After five years, Big B is doing another Chopra production titled "Taalismaan". Based on the novel "Chandrakanta", it is being directed by Ram Madhwani.

The Indian film industry has undergone a sea change in the last few years - earlier the filmmakers used to celebrate Golden Jubilee at the box office, but now they are focusing just on first three-day box office collections of their movies.

Talking about the change, Amitabh said: "Earlier, we used to celebrate 25 weeks and 50 weeks to a movie. Now we talk about a 100-crore club. This is a mindset. Today the world thinks this way and earlier they used to think the other way," he added.

This was Amitabh's second public appearance after his abdominal surgery in February. Before that he made an appearance at the Indian Premier League 5 opening ceremony in Chennai Tuesday.

As far as his films are concerned, the megastar has finished shooting for Shoojit Sircar's "Shoebite" and he will also be seen in his first Hollywood venture - "The Great Gatsby", being made by Baz Luhrmann.