He isn't making a big deal of the Baz Luhrmann-directed The Great Gatsby because he does not see it as his big ticket to Hollywood. Rather, sources close to Bachchan revealed that the star was doing the role for free and as a gesture of friendship towards the Australian director.

"Last year Baz Luhrmann was on a private visit to India and dropped by at my office to meet me and presented me some wonderful paintings done by an Australian artist," disclosed Bachchan, adding that in August this year Luhrmann spoke to him about the role in his new film.

"He asked me if I would do a small part in his film. It's just a small scene with Leonardo Dicaprio and Toby Macguire. My character Meyer Wolfsheim is patterned on an iconic character of the time, Rothstein, a very impressive and well known person of the New York underworld mafia."I have agreed to do this just as a friendly appearance and went across to Sydney late last month for rehearsals and hair make-up and costume tests. The reading workshop requires for the entire cast to assemble and get familiar with the script and do a read through."He will shoot for a couple of days sometime in mid-October.