Mumbai is very healthy and doing very well- Amitabh Bachchan

Big "B" and Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan today said in Kerala that the country's commercial capital was 'very healthy' and doing 'very well', when he was sought to steer clear of the controversy over Shiv Sena's 'Mumbai for Marathis' campaign.

"Mumbai is very healthy. It is doing very well," Bachchan said when reporters asked him about the Sena's campaign which has evoked national outcry.

Bachchan was in Kochi to unveil the 'Jeevarogya Medical Welfare' campaign launched by Pookutty's Foundation.

Amitabh has announced a contribution of Rs 11 lakh for 'Resul Pookutty Foundation', a non-profit welfare organization founded by Padma Shri and Oscar winning Cinema sound technician Resul Pookutty.

Lauding Pookutty's efforts, Bachchan said, "There are very few amongst us who would have decided like Resul. Not living in the glory of his great recognition, he had decided to convert what good he can do towards his own community and the people."

The 67-year-old superstar said there were two reasons for his coming to Kochi, one of them being that he had promised to be present whenever Pookutty begins this activity and the other being his "association" with the medical profession in this country.

"I commend Resul's efforts and desire to serve the people and reaching beyond his professional world through a sound social initiative of this kind," Bachchan said.

The foundation has entered into a tie-up with Kerala based Lakshmi Hospital, to offer medical aid, support and free surgeries to the poor and needy in Kerala.

"Resul is a patriot and my colleague. I am very honored that Resul had decided to convert his great recognition towards social service," Bachchan said.

Speaking on the occasion the Big 'B' also expressed his faith in the country's medical talent which is why he never ventured overseas for treatment.

"I know there are many occasions in the past when I had the means to have myself treated outside the country, but I always respected and had good faith in the medical talent that is available now and I had not ventured out overseas for the treatment," he said.

Bachchan said he had "great association" with the medical profession in the country. "I had natural attraction to everything that is medically concerned," he said.

Pookutty has thanked Bachchan for his vist and said, the past year had been a "dream run" for him. "From the time I won the Oscar, the gates have opened for me to stand up and serve the society in a larger way," he added.

"Somewhere, all this is the manifestation of many of my dreams and born out of various personal experiences" he said, adding "the overwhelming warmth and love showered upon me across the world needed to be reciprocated in a relevant direction, and bring to attention worthy issues around me."

"This was an earnest effort and a small beginning to that end," Pookutty proudly said.

After the function, the journalists asked Amitabh, whether he would take any initiative to end the rift between Shiva Sena and superstar Shah Rukh Khan, he replied, "What has it got to do with this here. We are very happy announcing this wonderful programme for the benefit of people of Kerala."

"We are here to promote this programme. Talk about this programme. I think that we should concentrate on this," Amitabh said.

- Asian Tribune -