"He will be unable to attend due to prior commitments"
Amitabh Bachchan declined an invitation from the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II. She, along with Prince Philip, invited the big Bollywood star to Buckingham Palace. However, Amitabh Bachchan has turned down the invite due to “prior commitments”.
The Queen will host the UK-India Year of Culture launch at the famous British landmark. The prestigious event will take place on Monday 27th February 2017.
The UK government hope that the UK-India Year of Culture will strengthen ties and create a cultural bond between the two nations.
Amitabh Bachchan’s decline sent shockwaves through the press. Who would turn down an invitation from the longest-reigning Queen?
However, it appears that a busy schedule is to blame. A source says: “He has already extended his regret to the invitation, citing pre-scheduled commitments, but is honoured to receive a special invite from Buckingham Palace.”
Later the iconic star’s publicist confirmed the reason:
“Yes, Mr Bachchan has been extended a rare invitation by Queen Elizabeth and Buckingham Palace to grace the UK-India Cultural Year reception. Unfortunately, however, he will be unable to attend due to prior commitments.”
The government first announced the UK-India Year of Culture back in November 2015, when Narendra Modi visited the UK. Queen Elizabeth II has also invited other famous celebrities from both the UK and India, such as Kunal Nayyar, Ayesha Dharker and Rio Ferdinand.
The UK Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel said at the time:
“Throughout the year, we are going to see great works of art, great collaborations, all the cultural aspects coming together and a real demonstration of how strong our cultural ties are. It is going to be really exciting.”
So you might be wondering: what is keeping Amitabh Bachchan so busy?
The trailer to his latest film Sarkar 3 is due to launch in the first week of March 2017. He will also begin filming scenes for Thugs of Hindostan, also featuring Aamir Khan.
Combine this with further filming for Aankhen 2 and Dragon, it’s understandable that the big Bollywood star would have to give the UK event a miss.
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