A book on Amitabh Bachchan launched ‘Bachchanalia’

"It is inspirational and amazing to see how he has carved a niche for himself despite the fact that the film industry was reluctant to accept him initially. In the film industry, success is not neccessarily proportionate to the talent and hardwork. But, Amitabh Bachchan is an exception," Khan said, after releasing 'Bachchanalia: The films and Memorabilia of Amitabh Bachchan', co-authored by Bhawana Somaaya to mark the 40 years of the legend's illustrious career at the Tata theatre in NCPA here on Saturday.

"Since I come from a film family, we had copies of Filmfare magazine which carried pictures of young actors struggling to make a mark in the industry. As a kid, I recall laughing with disdain at some pictures of young people who were aspiring to become actors. As I grew up, I hung my head in shame that one of the picture which I laughed at was that of Amitabh Bachchan," Khan said.
Stressing the need for archiving film memorabilia, he said 'Bachchanalia' was a visual delight.

"It is image heavy and not word heavy and takes you through the journey of an amazing actor through images," he added.

Bachchan said he would complete 40 years in the film industry on February 15, 2009 and thanked fans who have stood by him throughout all trials and tribulations, ups and downs in his personal and professional life.

Stating that documenting and archiving film memorabilia was not a custom in India, Bachchan said that there should be a system that keeps records about the developments in the Indian film industry. "In other countries, culture and tradition of arts and entertainment fields are preserved with meticulous precision. Our films have not lived up to the aesthetic taste of many people but it is because the knowledge and study of cinema is poor. Our cinema has brought people together," he added.

He disagreed with the view that films encourage violence in the society.