Even at 72, Amitabh Bachchan is like a newcomer: Moushumi Chatterjee

Bollywood's actor Moushumi Chatterjee turned 62 on Sunday. And the actor has enough reasons to feel special this year, as she will be seen sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan after a gap of 36 years in Shoojit Sircar's upcoming release Piku.

Bollywood's actor Moushumi Chatterjee turned 62 on Sunday. And the actor has enough reasons to feel special this year, as she will be seen sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan after a gap of 36 years in Shoojit Sircar's upcoming release Piku. Moushumi and Bachchan were last seen together in Basu Chatterjee's Manzil in 1979.

Moushumi-Chatterjee

The actor, who plays Bachchan's sister-in-law in Piku, says that both Bachchan and she got nostalgic while shooting for the film. She also recalls shooting for the hit song 'Rim Jhim Gire Saawan' from Manzil, which was shot at Marine Drive. Moushumi played Bachchan's love interest in the film, which went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year. "When I met Amit on the set of Piku, we both got nostalgic about Manzil. He said that the song is still very popular and I said I still remember those days. He told everyone on the set, 'She is my leading lady," she says smilingly.

Moushumi, who worked with Bachchan in Narendra Bedi's Benaam (1974) and Manoj Kumar's Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), is all praise for her co-actor. "Even at 72, Amit is like a newcomer. If you ask him to get ready at 6 am, he will be ready. He is so punctual and disciplined," says Moushumi.

The actor, who was last seen on the big screen in Aparna Sen's Bengali film, Goynar Baksho (2013), says that she agreed to do Piku after watching Sircar's earlier films. "I liked Vicky Donor and Madras Café. I feel he is an awesome director. He requested me to do this film. I am otherwise very. I don't do anything unless someone motivates me. I asked Shoojit to rope in someone else for this role but he was adamant. He told me that only if I play this role that this film will find a balance as it has Amit, Deepika (Padukone), Irrfan," she says.

However, she is also peeved after receiving phone calls from her fans and admirers, who have been complaining about her blink-and-miss presence in the film's trailer. "I have been getting phone calls and everyone is asking me the same thing. Honestly, even I don't know the reason. I feel I should be given what I deserve. Shoojit had told me that I wouldn't regret doing the film. I trust people. I haven't seen the final version of the film but I just hope whatever I had been promised is retained in the final cut. As a senior actress, I deserve that. In this profession trust and faith plays an important role."

The last time Moushumi was seen in a Hindi film was in Tanuja Chandra's Zindaggi Rocks in 2006, where she had a double role. Why isn't she seen more in films? "People say I am a good actress. They offer me good roles. I don't mind doing a film even if I have just two scenes but the role has to be good. These days, when I hear a script and then see the end product, I feel disappointed. Fans expect something and I too expect something from the director. These days, a film looks one thing during the script reading session, becomes something else during the shooting, changes to yet something else at the edit table and finally becomes a completely different product during the time of release. I don't want my trust to be broken," she grieves.