Prakash Jha (above) has cast the actor as a college professor in his upcoming film Aarakshan; (top) Bachchan plays a flamboyant ex-gangster in Bbudha Hoga Terra Baap

He was Bollywood’s original angry young man with his killer dialogues and brooding dark looks. Now after 42 years in the industry, Amitabh Bachchan is reprising the role of the angry — but not so young — man, in his latest film Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap, which released on July 1.

It’s tough to believe that he’ll be turning 70 next year because his vitality and spirit rivals that of much younger men. And he’s still willing to work extra hours and push himself relentlessly to ensure that his fans aren’t disappointed when one of his films hits the screens.

It’s business as usual at Mumbai’s JW Marriott Hotel on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Outside the hotel there’s a huge jam as thousands converge on Juhu Beach to see the stranded cargo vessel MV Wisdom. But tucked inside the hotel’s nightclub Enigma, there’s a buzz of a different kind as Amitabh Bachchan settles for a tete-a-tete about his latest home production.

He’s definitely in a makeover mode and pulling out all the stops for this production. He’s sporting a cool-dude look complete with floral shirts, designer jackets and colourful glares. He poses for the photographer happily on a Harley Davidson and is kicked about his ‘thoda-action, thoda-Jackson’ look that is creating ripples in the industry.

At an age, when most of his contemporaries have retired, Bachchan is more ambitious than ever. Last year he made Paa but this year he has already done two films — Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap and Aarakshan. He’s tightlipped about his other films that are at various stages of production.

In terms of trends too, he’s out there in front. Consider his outfits in his latest film. Stylist Leepakshi Ellawadi who styled him in this film elaborates: “We went to London and shopped for Armani and Tom Ford jackets and paisley shirts. As for shoes, he usually prefers his own and I selected yellow and multi-coloured shoes from his wardrobe.”

The film has been made on a limited budget of Rs 10 crore and is being jointly produced by AB Corp and Viacom 18. “I play an ex-gangster Viju who runs a pub in Paris. Puri has been a great admirer of my films and wished to see me in a flamboyant manner in this film.”

The actor’s portrayal of a mafia overlord in Ram Gopal Verma’s Sarkar won him praise from audiences and critics alike

His director Puri Jagannadh too is ecstatic at the opportunity to work with him. “I had stopped watching some of Amitji’s films. But I loved some of his recent films like Sarkar, Cheeni Kum and Paa.” The director, like many others in Bollywood, is awed by Bachchan’s perfectionist streak. He says: “I remember whenever I used to announce a pack-up, while other actors would rush to leave he would come over to me and asked for his portions so that he could work on it.”

Coming up next is Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan in which Bachchan plays a college professor. “It is a realistic and issue-based film,” he says. The film also stars Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone and will release in August.

Prakash Jha also insists that his respect for the actor increased while shooting this film. He recalls: “He wanted to re-shoot a longish scene because he was not a hundred per cent satisfied. He came back to me one morning feeling terribly uneasy and convinced me to do a retake of the scene.”

Bachchan won the Best Actor National Award for his role in Paa

Bachchan got started in Bollywood 42 years ago with Saat Hindustani for which he won his first National Award. But he has enjoyed a shelf-life that may be unparalleled in the movie industry worldwide. Today he’s still raking in big bucks — between Rs 7 crore to Rs 10 crore per ad. He’s the trusted face for everything from insurance products to pulse polio and even tourism boards. Says adman turned director R. Balki: “He has the ability to connect with the masses.”

Balki who directed the actor in Cheeni Kum and recently Paa, which also fetched Bachchan the National Award for Best Actor says: “He didn’t take much time to pitch the character Auro in Paa. Once he understands the script, he doesn’t need to be directed.”

Bachchan has always admitted that AB Corp went badly wrong in its first incarnation. But the company’s now moving forward steadily but cautiously. It brought out a Marathi film Vihir, which did well, and last year put a much bigger bet on Paa. The current film is their third film production for which they have joined hands with Viacom 18.

Says Bachchan: “We are in discussions on a number of subjects. By the end of the year we shall be able to announce our next project. Yes, we want to produce films in regional languages and are in talks to do a Gujarati film and a Marathi film.”

He is also gearing up for his television appearance in Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 5 on Sony in October. He says: “We are thinking of fresh innovations. The mock rehearsals will begin from next month. The channel is thinking of more connectivity with viewers and providing more opportunities to earn money while at home.”

Bachchan insists that he has no regrets about his stupendously long career. He first made a name for himself as the angry young man in a string of movies like Zanjeer, Deewar, Don and Kaalia. In contrast, more recently he has taken up strong character roles in movies like Black, Sarkar and The Last Lear. He says: “It’s wrong to say that I was the original angry young man. Before me, the trendsetter was Sunil Duttsaab in Mother India.”

The actor bonds with son Abhishek as a friend rather than as a father

There’s no question that Saat Hindustani was a major milestone in his career and he has fond memories of working with director Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. “Abbassaab was an idealist. It was the strength of his pen that made such beautiful screenplays. I used to wait eagerly to read his column Last Page in Blitz.”

Just occasionally Bachchan sounds nostalgic about the past. He feels that film dialogues nowadays seem to have lost their punch. He says: “When I am doing concerts overseas, fans request me to mouth dialogues of my earlier films. So somewhere I find there is longevity of those dialogues.”

He feels this is partly because of the new demands on the industry. So how has he coped with changing times? He adds: “I am pretty relaxed as far as today’s temperament is concerned. The youngsters today are brighter, smarter, aggressive and very keen to succeed. They speak fast and often in cryptic language. I don’t see anything wrong in this attitude.”

Bachchan has also sung three songs in his latest film, including the title track that has been sung in Acapella style (that’s a solo or group vocals without any instrumental backing). He says: “The other song Haal-E-Dil is one of my favourites. The last one is a medley of some of my earlier hits.” In fact, Bachchan has sung tracks in many Hindi films earlier in Laawaris, Silsila and most recently Nishabd.

Bachchan has also sung the iconic Rabindrasangeet Ekla Cholo Re in director Sujoy Ghosh’s upcoming film Kahaani. Ghosh, who directed him in Aladdin, says: “He had never explored Tagore before so he jumped at this opportunity.”

And the actor has a secret passion as well. He has a grand piano that was gifted to him but insists that he doesn’t know how to play. “I am an average singer but I can’t play instruments. I have a grand piano and I wish to learn it if I don’t get work anymore.” Ghosh, however, insists that’s not entirely true. “I once heard him play Ray’s Charulata theme wonderfully on his piano. Amitji has many talents but never boasts about them.”

Bachchan the lanky and quick-stepping dancer is, of course, a legend in Bollywood. Choreographer Remo D’Souza, who’s worked with him in many films, says: “Due to his stomach operation and shoulder pain, he is finding it difficult to dance. In his current film he has tried to recreate his trademark style of dancing.”

If work is his passion, family too is top priority. He still talks about his parents — father and poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and mother Teji Bachchan — and remembers them especially in times of crisis. “As you grow up, values taught by your parents will always remain with you. Whenever I have an issue or a problem, I ask myself how my father would have solved it.”

Bachchan who’s looking forward to be a granddad for the third time, shares a strong bond with his son Abhishek. He says, “Though I advise him as a father, I treat him as a friend.” As for daughter Shweta’s kids — Navya Naveli (13) and Agastya (8) — he loves to pamper them. “Whenever I get stuck on the computer or on my mobile, Agastya fixes the problem instantly,” he says with pride.

It goes without saying that the star has a hectic life with shoots and film promotions. “I start my day at 5 am. At this age, it is physically very strenuous so I go to the gym every day without fail and keep a check on my diet.” He starts by doing dubbing work. Says Bachchan: “That’s because the voice is fresh when you wake up.” He also does some voice blogging (vogging) in the morning. Next he heads for his shoots. And at night, even after a full day, he sits down for a bout of social networking — blogging and twitter. He says: “It’s like an addiction. My family does not complain because I generally do it when they are asleep.”

So how does he cope with strenuous working hours and few hours of sleep even at this age? “There’s no magic formula in it. If you are focused, managing time is not a problem,” he insists.

So what is the difference between Amitabh Bachchan in Saat Hindustani and Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap? He laughs: “I have put on more weight today and my beard has gone white.” But the audiences don’t seem to care.