Sujoy Ghosh claims he is Amitabh Bachchan's number 1 fan; says, 'Abhishek and Balki go and take a walk' - Exclusive

Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh has teamed up with Amitabh Bachchan in multiple projects like Aladin, Kahaani, Te3n and Badla. On Big B's 81st birthday today, Sujoy confesses to ETimes that he is his biggest fan. "I know that there are many who claim that but I am cementing this fact," he says. "I am just putting it out there for the rest of the world. So, just back off, I’m the number one fan."
Being a fan, however, is one thing, but directing an icon like Big B is another.When asked how he manages to do so, he says, "At that time, I am a director. In Bengali, there’s a saying called ‘Sthaan, kaal, paatro’ which means, ‘place, time, people’. When we are on the sets, sir and I are serving the same god i.e. film. So, we do whatever it takes to serve that god. At that time, I don’t put sir above the film and he also knows that. We’re serving the film and that is very clear. Sir is one of those rare actors who gives everybody that respect on set. He gives me that value of the director. At the end of the day he knows that all of us are working towards making a good film and it will benefit all of us. That collaboration, warmth, friendship that comes from his side, helps us to work better."
On what sets him apart, Sujoy points out, "We know him as this actor, megastar, biggest icon. There are a lot of ‘khitaab’ attached to him. But more than anything he is a huge human being and that’s what sets him apart. You have to be a good human being more than anything else to retain what you have. It is easy to get something but it is incredibly hard to retain it – love, respect, property, cash whatever. I think to retain it, you need to be a bigger human being than your profession. For me, he is a huge human being than a star. And that’s why I am more fan of that human being and I am the number one. I am cementing it. So, Abhishek and Balki go and take a walk."