'College was full of puppy love'

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">As Amitabh Bachchan''s AB Corp launches Viruddh, to be directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, the legend is once again paired opposite Sharmila Tagore.The last time they acted together was in </span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">Desh Premee</span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">, 22 years ago. </span><br /></div> <div align="right" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="right" border="1" width="27.0%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="756244-open/images/756296.jpg" alt="756244-open/images/756296.jpg" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">And if you thought the Big B''s too old to play a </span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">premee</span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""> at 61, think again! Coming up he''s taking his romantic leanings one step further by playing the messenger of love himself — Cupid! Bachchan''s excited about the role in Boney Kapoor''s </span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">Kyon Ho Gaya</span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""> </span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">Na?</span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""> where Cupid comes in the form of Aishwarya Rai''s uncle, who unites a traditional thinking Ash and a modern thinking Vivek Oberoi. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Bachchan, who''s shone in many romantic roles, believes that we survive on love. "I am a strong believer in love. It''s commitment, respect, sharing and devotion. It''s also doing things to keep the other person happy," he says. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Bachchan says he''s been fascinated by Cupid, but never got to play one. "I wish I did, but every time others ended up playing Cupid for me," he grins. Slipping into nostalgic mode, he recalls his college days when love''s messenger moved about madly looking for a victim.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Next Page: </span><a href="/articleshow/msid-756244,curpg-2.cms" style="" font-face:arialfont-size:10ptfont-weight:boldcolor:0066cc="">’Miranda House was the coveted bus stop’</a><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"College was full of juvenile and puppy love," he says. "It''s fun to recall those days. There were friends fixing up meetings with some girl I admired. My gang would never miss the bus that the girl took." </span><br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="27.0%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="756244-open/images/756260.jpg" alt="756244-open/images/756260.jpg" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">One incident still fresh in his mind is when he was studying in Delhi University. Miranda House - girls'' college - was the most coveted bus stop, where all the boys lined up to ogle at the beauties. "Once, Miranda House required three boys from a different college for its annual play. I was one of the three chosen to go. The opportunity was heaven sent. I couldn''t believe that the girls we ogled at were sharing the stage with us!" </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The whole incident, ultimately, was a revelation. "When I entered the college, for the first time I realised what a girl goes through, when she walks down the street with men ogling. It happened to me. I was embarrassed and felt awkward, as they passed comments and teased me," Bachchan laughs. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Today, some of the girls, he acted with and befriended are in Mumbai, like stage actress Dolly Thakore. "We talk about it and laugh," he says. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The serious looking lad flirted with romance, but fell seriously in love, when he met his eventual life partner, Jaya. "I met this pretty, vivacious, chirpy girl on the sets of </span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">Guddi</span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""> and knew she was the one for me. Today, I''m glad I have her beside me," he sighs.</span></div> </div>