Mid-Day

Mumbai, May 30: Amitabh Bachchan is a generous man. The superstar bought sunglasses for Rs 2.7 lakh from New York, because his role as a blind lawyer demanded it. He then insisted on paying for it and later, gifted it to the director.

Speaking to MiD DAY, Bachchan said, “I went to New York over a year ago to purchase the glasses for my role in S Ramanathan’s film, Zamaanat. In the film, I turn blind after a bomb explodes in my car.”

Said Ramanathan, “I told Amit-ji we wanted to get a pair of sunglasses designed for him. But he said he was busy. Later, when I went to receive him at the Chennai airport, he said, ‘Maine aapka kaam asaan kar diya hai. I have bought glasses for the lawyer’s role from New York’.”

The director said the glasses were exactly what was required for the role and Bachchan wears them for half the film.

The sunglasses are expensive as they have a bifocal lens and also serve as regular spectacles. Moreover, they are Italian frames by designer Roberto Cavalli; prices start at Rs 40,000.

After the film was completed (will be released next month), Bachchan gifted the glasses to the director.

Ramanathan, who worked with Bachchan in Bombay To Goa and Mahaan, gushed, “It’s the gift of a lifetime. I have preserved it in my locker, and I will display it in my film museum. It’s light as feather. I carried the glasses to the sets in a box. After work, I took it home and placed it in my locker,” said Ramanathan.

Bachchan has a passion for watches. His favourite brand is Longines, which costs around Rs 2 lakh. His other interest is collecting pens — he owns over a thousand. Mont Blanc gifts Bachchan a special pen on his birthday. He owns 11 cars — including a Lexus, two BMWs and three Mercedes Benzes, but his favourite is the Lexus.

Bachchan is very fond of suits — his favourite is Gabbana. The fabric is specially imported from Italy; the thread imported from France and the buttons from England. His other favourite brand is Fratelli Rosetti, which starts from Rs 35,000.

Storyline

Zamaanat stars Amitabh Bachchan, Karisma Kapoor and Arshad Warsi. Rich girl Kajal (Karisma) falls in love with poor man Suraj (Arshad), who is framed in a murder case. A desperate Kajal runs to Advocate Shivshankar (Amitabh) in order to save Suraj from being hanged.