Amitabh concerned over slow growth in rural India

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who arrived here with his family yesterday for the shooting of Prakash Jha's upcoming film 'Satyagraha', has expressed concern over the slow growth in rural India. "The rural and the village India still totters, and it is depressing to see them suffer. Many examples of those that do, one has encountered on KBC. But they are minuscule," Bachchan wrote on his blog. At the same time he has praised India's progress after the opening of the economy. "Airports, highways, hotels of great calibre, housing... All becoming a part of interior India. An India that stands on the threshold of huge progress and development," the actor wrote. "The opening up of the economy has brought in huge benefits of investment from the Western world, and infrastructure and many other factors have become responsible for this growth." Amitabh arrived here yesterday along with wife Jaya Bachchan, son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan and grand-daughter Aradhya and from the airport, the family drove to Jaya's mother Indira Bhaduri's place in the posh Shyamla Hills area. Referring to the new generation, Amitabh said, "Also the new generation that is now taking decisions and forming the psyche of the nation is young - perhaps all born after the liberalisation of the economy. The youth is projected to be the largest young brigade in the world! They have not lived or experienced the elements that we went through. They are enthused and aggressive in their search for their ultimate destination." MORE