While fans celebrated October 11

Subhash K Jha

Amitabh Bachchan spent a quiet birthday on October 11, in Los Angeles, as fans thronged his home in Bombay, with flowers and sweets. The superstar turned 59.

For the first time, the Big B missed a time-honoured tradition of spending his birthday at home with family and friends.

Bachchan spent the day shooting on the sets of Kaante, in the American city. "We've completed our shooting on time. And I'm returning home on October 12," Bachchan informs IANS, over the telephone.

The Bachchan residence, Mansa, in Juhu was inundated with greetings, bouquets and visitors. The two main phone lines in the office-cum-residence were jammed all day.

His secretaries had a tough time answering congratulatory calls and anxious inquiries about the Big B's whereabouts. Every caller and visitor's name was dutifully noted, as Bachchan writes back 'thank you' letters to each person -- as he does every year.

"I think the fans are the mainstay of any actor's career. What would I be without them?" Bachchan sighs.

But Bachchan's 59th birthday wasn't his happiest one. Not only did he miss out on the ritual at home, the trip to LA aggravated his back and neck problems.

"I have had this neck pain since Major Saab. Now it has acted up again," he says. A troublesome molar has also started acting up. Even so, the Big B has ensured that Kaante gets the best of his talent.

In spite of the terrorist attacks on the US, the Kaante team has kept up to its schedule.

For Bachchan, shooting for Kaante has been a novel experience. "I've never shot in an ensemble piece before. All my co-stars -- Sanjay (Dutt), (Kumar) Gaurav, Sunil (Shetty), Lucky (Ali) and Mahesh (Manjrekar) -- are my friends."

Indo-Asian News Service

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