Bachchan to read poetry at Marathi meet

Amitabh’s presence will also be significant in the backdrop of his company Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) producing Marathi film ‘Vihir’ directed by Umesh Kulkarni. He has also expressed the desire to produce more Marathi films.

Sammelan organisers had written to Amitabh 10 days back inviting him. Three days back,convenor of the meet Satish Desai and organising committee member Sudheer Gadgil met him at his residence in Mumbai and requested his presence.

“Amitabh accepted and formally conveyed it to the organising committee on Friday evening,” said Desai. “It will be the first time that such a great actor from the Hindi film industry will be present at the Marathi literary meet,” he said.

In the acceptance letter,Bachchan’s executive assistant Rosy Singh said,“I am pleased to confirm Mr Amitabh Bachchan’s presence on the 28th of March at your prestigious function.”

Desai said the function would be presided over by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Bachchan would be chief guest. “During our meeting with Amitabh,we gave him an overview about the tradition of the Sahitya Sammelan and requested him to read some Marathi poems,” said Desai. According to Milind Joshi,general secretary of the committee,Amitabh may recite poems of renowned Marathi poet Suresh Bhat.

“Besides Marathi poems,he will read some of his father’s verses mainly from Madhushala,” he said.

Joshi said it was a tradition of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan to invite an author writing in other Indian languages to the valedictory function. “This time we thought Amitabh will be appropriate,” he said.

The actor had inaugurated the Marathi Natya Sammelan,another important event in Maharashtra’s cultural diary,in Dombivali a few years back.

Desai said the committee was expecting a positive reply from cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar. He has also been invited. “It would be icing on the cake if Sachin accepts our invitation and reads some passages from books of his father late Ramesh Tendulkar,” he said.