Big B hopes peace returns in Egypt

NEW DELHI - As the anti-government protests rage on in Egypt, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan reminisces about his stay in the beautiful country of pyramids and hopes it “all comes to an end soon and in peace”.

“I see incredible scenes of violence and disruption on television about what is happening in Egypt and in particular in Cairo and feel so sad that this beautiful country and city and its warm and hospitable people should all come to such condition,” Big B posted on his blog Bigb.bigadda.com Saturday.

“All my visits there have been so memorable and full of so many happy times. When shooting in Cairo for ‘The Great Gambler in 1975, they did not know anything about Indian films and actors. On the streets, if India was mentioned it was always Nehru - their known association with him and their own president (Gamal Abdel) Nasser and the relationship that they enjoyed, he added.

Big B also mentioned how the success of Great Gambler and Mard in Egypt changed the perception of Indian cinema in the land of sand and sun.

Something between the Great Gambler shoot and Mard, which was a colossal success in Egypt in particular, had changed the perception of Indian cinema in this historic land and I had fortunately become the receiver of the love and affection that they had been holding on to for so many years, he posted.

There are many visitors from India that go across on holidays to this land of the pyramids and come back with such glorious stories of the association the Egyptians still have for me and I am touched and feel so blessed. And so it saddens me even more to see the anger and discomfort that they go through now and I hope fervently that it all comes to an end soon and in peace, he added.