Always the star: discussing Shamitabh with Amitabh

India's best-loved star Amitabh Bachchan talks to The National about his new film Shamitabh, his fan base on Twitter and his favourite movies with wife Jaya.

Amitabh Bachchan at the press conference for his film Shamitabh. Reem Mohammed / The National 

Amitabh Bachchan seems incredibly relaxed for someone who, in a few short hours, has flown into Dubai and attended a hectic press conference to promote his new film Shamitabh.

The 72-year-old – voted star of the millennium by an online BBC poll in 1999 – was recently named as a recipient of India’s second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan.

At The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, last week, Bachchan spoke to The National – in that measured, hypnotic baritone that is known and loved by millions of fans all over the world – about Shamitabh, having 13 million followers on Twitter, and staying relevant during a career that spans almost 50 years.

On Shamitabh

“In the film, Dhanush plays this young man who becomes famous by stealing the voice of the character I portray, and then there’s a clash of egos as each man realises that the other is nothing without him. But I cannot reveal what happens next as that would give the plot away.”

On the filmmaker R Balki

"Balki has a unique brain and when he came up with this idea I was honoured. He is always full of fresh and different concepts, and I was thrilled that he thought up something specifically for me, this time based on my voice. After Paa [2009] and Cheeni Kum [2007], Shamitabh is another wonderful film we've done together. We worked very closely together from day one and spent days discussing the screenplay. Everything was worked out before we went on set. There were no points of dispute."

On what sets Shamitabh apart

“There’s one thing that’s very unique about this film – the whole script was recorded even before we started filming. We all followed Balki’s vision and tried to match our acting to our recorded dialogues. But that was not easy to do. After we’d finished filming, we had to dub again, this time to match voice, tone and modulation to our facial expressions.”

On working with Dhanush

“The great thing about Dhanush is that even though his dialogues were dubbed in my voice, he never tried to imitate me or be someone else. He managed to remain in character right through the filming, all the while mouthing dialogues to my voice, projecting my voice with immense confidence. I think it is remarkable that he was able to do all that without once ‘imitating’ me.”

On his favourite movies with his wife, the actress Jaya Bachchan

"I think it's all the ones Jaya and I did with [the director] Hrishikesh Mukherjee – like Mili [1975], Chupke Chupke [1975], Abhimaan [1973]. Did you know, Jaya is also the female co-star I've starred with the most? We've appeared together in several films, most of them by Hrishikesh Mukherjee."

On Jaya Bachchan returning to the big screen

“Jaya is looking at a few scripts now, and there are a few that she is in the process of considering. So she’ll be back sometime soon, we hope.”

On staying relevant in his nearly 50-year career

“Audiences keep changing, that’s something that is a constant. As actors we have to keep up with this and change with the times. Different eras brought with them different challenges and requirements, and directors keep coming up with new ideas, concepts, scripts and plots. I have been lucky to portray such a wide range of roles and to be appreciated for my work.”

On his immense presence on Twitter

“Some people stay off social media such as Twitter, they don’t take to it, and that’s a personal choice, I feel. For me, communication is important, and that is what I try to achieve with my tweets and by sharing updates on what I’m working on and other things. I owe a lot to my fans.” [On Sunday, Bachchan took to Twitter to thank his fans: “And its finally 13 million on Twitter. thank you, all my wishers!! 13 million !!”)

On his favourite actors

“Dilip saab [the veteran actor Dilip Kumar]. He’s always been my favourite – yes, all these years. And, of course [the actress] Waheeda Rehman.”

• Shamitabh is out in cinemas on February 5, 2015