Bachchan's 'Vihir' screened at Mumbai Fest

Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited's (ABCL) debut Marathi production Vihir (The Well) was screened at the 11th Mumbai Film Festival here Tuesday.

"Jaya Bachchan was my senior in Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and when I approached her with my script, she liked it and agreed to produce the film," said its director Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni.

The film narrates the story of an boy whose cousin dies and how he reacts to the first death he has seen in his life.

Madan Deodhar, Alok Deodhar, Renuka Daftardar, Mohan Agashe, Jyoti Subhash, Sulbha Deshpande, Girish Kulkarni, Amruta Subhash and Ashwini Giri play important roles in the film.

"This is an autobiographical story and I was very keen to make a film on it. I have, of course, added some fictional elements in it," Kulkarni said.

When asked on how he thought the public might react to the film, he said, "The success of the film is not on how many people watch the film, rather on how deep a impression it makes."

The world premiere of Vihir was held at the Pusan International Film Festival 2009. "I am lucky to have got a chance to show the film at Pusan," Kulkarni said. Kulkarni's first film was Valu (The Wild Bear) in 2008.

When Mohan Agashe was asked about his role in Vihir, he said, "My character shows how a dominating approach can be oppressive for family members."

1st Look: Amitabh Bachchan's Marathi film