Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan wore a South Indian mundu (dhoti) at a function in Kochi. The function was attended by Union Minister K V Thomas, Malayalam film stars Mamooty and Mohan Lal. Bachchan handed over Manorama news channel’s Newsmaker of The Year 2009 award  to Oscar winner Resool Pookutty.

Later Mamooty told Bachchan he expected him to come in formal attire and that’s why he had worn a formal suit. To this, Big B replied : In Rome, do as the Romans do. This remark evoked laughter from the audience.  

Malayalam actress Archana Kavi told Big B that the south Indian Mundu looked nice on him. To this, Big B replied, I am not wearing this for the first time. Whenever I come to Kerala, I buy a mundu, and wear it at home, he added.

Bachchan thanked Mohanlal for a role in the Malayalam film Kandahar, based on the Indian Airlines hijack incident in 1999.

In this film, Big B will play a meaty role. The film story revolves around a plane hijacking, army officer-turned-director Major Ravi revealed on Sunday in Kochi. If this happens, it would be the first time Amitabh Bachchan will appear in a Malayalam film.  

Major Ravi, who made three war films (Keertichakra, Mission 90 Days and Kurukshetra) with Mohanlal, said he is just trying to imagine how the two greats would come in one single frame. Amitabh will be seen as the father of a passenger on the ill-fated plane that has been hijacked and Mohanlal will play a commando.

The film is inspired by the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999. It was hijacked by five Pakistani militants while on its way from Kathmandu to New Delhi on Christmas eve and was forced to land in three different airports A(mritsar, Lahore, and Dubai) before spending a week on the tarmac in Kandahar with 186 hostages on board. Kandahar will be shot in Delhi, Nepal and Kerala.