No birthday fanfare for Amitabh Bachchan

India’s biggest superstar Amitabh Bachchan, whom his co-star Ayushmann Khurrana bills “a 77-year man with the mind of a 24-year old” is in no mood to celebrate his birthday.

“What is there to celebrate? It’s a day like any other day. I’m grateful that I’m still working and that my body is able to keep pace with my spirit,” Bachchan says humbly, urging his well-wishers to wish and pray for his good health. The actor recalls his childhood birthdays when his father, the great poet Harivanshrai Bachchan, would write and recite a poem for him.

“It was a family tradition, but this tradition took an entirely new definition after my near-fatal accident in 1984 (Bachchan nearly lost his life after a wrongly aimed punch in his solar plexus while shooting Manmohan Desai’s Coolie) my father recited my birthday poem. It was like a new life for me. While reading the poem, my father broke down. It was the only time I’ve seen him like that,” the actor reveals.

The mega-star, who will soon be seen in the sports drama Jhund, says he misses the annual ritual. “My father’s poetry is much-missed, as is my mother’s excitement on that day.  The annual ritual of cake-cutting no longer interests me. It has been replaced by a plate of dry fruits,” he smiles.

Despite having achieved more than most dream about in seven lifetimes, Bachchan has many unfulfilled dreams. “There are so many! I want play the piano, I want to learn many languages, and I’d have liked to work with Guru Dutt.”