Amitabh Bachchan’s 80th Birthday: R Balki says his silences speak much more eloquently than his words – Exclusive! – Times of India

What is that Balki most admires about Mr Bachchan? “His sarcasm. When he spoke his words on screen they were a killer. No actor could deliver so much meaning in so few words. Of course he has the greatest voice in our cinema. And when he speaks the world listens. But his silences speak much more eloquently than his words.”

Is Balki considering a bio-pic on Mr B?

“I would love to. But who will play Amitabh Bachchan? Abhishek? Nah. He is too intelligent to attempt something so foolhardy. Sometime ago someone came to me make a film on Salim-Javed. My one question to them was, ‘Who will play Amitabh Bachchan?’ That silenced them.”

Tonight at midnight when Mr Bachchan turns 80, all films in the PVR chain would come to a standstill.

Says Balki, “Whatever is playing in any PVR theatre across India will stop at midnight and the audience will sing Happy Birthday for their favourite actor. At PVR Juhu in Mumbai they will screen one of Amitji’s most iconic films Amar Akbar Anthony tonight. I will be there with a lot of others from the film fraternity to sing for him. There has never been another Amitabh Bachchan and there never will. His turning 80 is momentous for Indian cinema.”