Mumbai: On Thursday, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan carried the Olympic torch on the final leg of its relay on Thursday. The 69-year-old jogged a bit before slowing to a brisk walk during the course of his 300-metre run.
On Wednesday night, Bachchan, tweeted about the impending event, “OK !! HERE IT IS : Have been invited by London Olympic Organising Committee to carry the torch in the relay tomorrow ..”
TV screen grab of Amitabh Bachchan’s Olympic flame run.
Bachchan, who is the face of Indian cinema and the country’s rich cultural heritage for over four decades, was specially invited to be a part of the London Olympics. In a BBC poll, he was voted the greatest star of stage or screen by BBC News Online users.
Amitabh carried the torch in the Southwark area in south London. Talking about the it, the 69-year-old had tweeted: “Honored to be asked to carry the Olympic Torch in London at Southwark around 10:30 AM !! A proud moment for me and country!”
The Indian star will be in hallowed company with United Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-moon among the other dignitaries who were torchbearers on the relay’s final leg. Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and his 36-year-old son, Aditya, will also be among the torchbearers today.
