Q. Why did you quit politics?
A. Having fought and won an election (from Allahabad in 1984) I realised politics is a lot more than just playing boy scouts. Rather than impose my inadequacy on people, I decided to quit. I would tour the villages in my constituency and see instances where a bulb was being worshipped because it was the only one that the area had seen in 30 years. They would garland it and put a tika on it. It was depressing to realise that when you asked for funds for development, so did 84 other MPs from your state, and your share was not more than a few lakh rupees. What could you do with it? I set up my own trust, Nirman, taken from the title of my father's poem, Neer ka Nirman. We organised premieres and shows and successfully ran medical vans. But I was politically attacked for it, with allegations that I was using illegal money. It was very hurtful. I suppose I was far too sensitive for politics.

Q. But wasn't it the accusation about your closeness to the Hindujas that propelled your resignation?
A. That was coincidental.

Q. Your closeness to Rajiv Gandhi did make you very powerful between 1984 and 1986, didn't it? Didn't people come to you to get their work done?
A. Not at all. Just because my office was at 2 Motilal Nehru Marg (Rajiv's office previously) doesn't mean I was powerful. It was no indication of things to come.

ON REKHA "We see our leading ladies more than our wives. That invariably leads to controversy."

Q. Why have you fallen out with Sonia Gandhi?
A. I haven't. Her family has been friends with mine for years.

Q. When did you last see her?
A. It's been some years now. But for me, she has been and always will be a friend.

Q. What about your brother? Have you split with him?
A. How can I? He's my brother. The same blood flows in my veins. He managed my career but left for better prospects abroad. He still comes to India every two to three months.

Q. Shouldn't you have given up your NRI status after you pulled out of TV Asia in the US?
A. No, why? You can keep it for nine years after you apply for it. It doesn't make you less of an Indian.

ON AMAR SINGH "People call him a power broker. It's rubbish. When I had no one to turn to, he came to be by my side."

Q. Do you agree with the politics of your friend Bal Thackeray of the Shiv Sena?
A. As a citizen, I have the right to have an opinion which I can keep to myself. I have my own thoughts on politics but I don't want to publicise them. Balasaheb was a close friend from a very early age. He was my admirer and sketched many of my cartoons. He was starting a charitable social centre and wanted me to inaugurate an ambulance unit. That was my first public endorsement. We have great regard and respect for each other. When Jaya visits his house, he treats her like a bahu. He visited my father in hospital and when I was in the thick of political victimisation, I went to him for advice. He asked me point blank: are you involved in corruption? If you're not, he said, you have nothing to fear. If there's a storm outside, just wait it out. It gave me a great sense of belonging at a time when I was totally isolated and was being attacked by the government. It was impossible to go out without hearing snide remarks about the Bachchans.

Q. Describe your friendship with Amar Singh.
A. People call Amar Singhji a power-broker. It's rubbish. When I was all alone with no one to turn to, he came to be by my side. He will go out of his way to ease your pain. He is one man who gives more than he takes.

ON SONIA GANDHI "She has been and always will be a friend. Her family has been friends with mine for years."

Q. How different is it from your friendship with Rajiv?
A. Rajiv and I grew up together, but he was not the kind of person to whom you could say, 'There's a pain in my jaw, can you fix it?'. We had several informal moments but there are certain barriers for a person when he's the son of a prime minister or the prime minister himself.

Q. What do you do on the board of directors of Sahara?
A. Sahara Shree (Subrata Roy) is like my family. He came to Lucknow with just Rs 2,000 and a scooter. Now he employs lakhs of people and has crores of clients. I respect him and he has been a pillar of strength through all my troubles. I'm a director on the board and give guidance occasionally.

Q. But why do you have to perform on stage for them? Isn't it an embarrassment?
A. When have I done that? All I've done is celebrate Bharat Parv, the glorification of Bharat Mata, with them.

Q. Do you think V.P. Singh went after you? Are you still bitter about it?
A. He maligned me and my family. He said, 'Make me the prime minister and within 24 hours I will put Amitabh Bachchan behind bars.' I wrote a letter to him saying, 'Here I am. I am not hiding behind Rajiv Gandhi. I give you one month. Find proof of my involvement.' He never could.

ON BAL THACKERAY "We have great regard for each other. He stood by me when the government was attacking me."

Q. Have you met him subsequently?
A. No, I haven't met him, and I have no desire to.

Q. What was it like working with Rekha?
A. She is a wonderful person and a wonderful actress. All my colleagues have been so cooperative, kind, helpful and friendly. The press likes to write things in order to sell more copies. But I suppose it's normal with all actors. We see our leading ladies more than our wives. That leads to controversy.

Q. Why did AB Corp fail?
A. It grew too quickly. When you expand too fast, you lose control of the management. Then we were politically attacked on the Miss World event. It drove away sponsors and guests. Politicians threatened us. Other people said they would immolate themselves. The sad part is there was a Miss Lingerie contest the next day in a Bangalore hotel where my co-star Anil Kapoor was the chief guest. It never got written about. I could have let the company die-after all, companies get sick all the time, people bury them and move on. But I would have had to face creditors every day. I could not live with that. Now we are starting small again with co-productions and might even float an IPO.

Q. Why did you ban the media for 15 years?
A. Not 15, 18 years. And I didn't ban the press. They banned me in 1977. They thought I instigated Mrs Gandhi into declaring Emergency and decided not to mention my name, not even while giving the film's credit titles. When I went to a public function, photographers would put down their cameras. I said, if they have the right to ban me, I have the right to do so too. Only when I joined politics, which requires a certain amount of mandatory accountability, did I relax the ban somewhat.

Q. How has your family contributed to your success?
A. Jaya has looked after the home, built up friendships. She has a remarkable quality of remembering birthdays, anniversaries and meetings. I'm forgetful, but not ill-meaning. I love the affection of my children. If any of us is in trouble, we'll always be there for each other.

Q. Did you want your son Abhishek to be an actor?
A. I don't believe you can tell your children how to live their lives. I think Abhishek has all the basic ingredients for success. I was most satisfied with his role in Om Jai Jagdish. For me, it was a superhit because there was nothing wrong with his performance.

Q. Will he run AB Corp for you?
A. There's nothing to run currently. We were Rs 80 crore in the red and have returned all but Rs 5 crore. Right now, we are broke, down and out. We'll resume, but I feel Abhishek has to first become his own man.

Q. He's getting married to Karisma ...
A. Yes, and for me, Karisma is already our daughter-in-law. This cements a long association between the two families. My daughter is married to Karisma's cousin Nikhil Nanda. Prithviraj Kapoor was my father's friend.

Q. An accident after which you were declared clinically dead, a debilitating illness like myasthenia gravis, a political career in ruins, near bankruptcy. How do you keep yourself going?
A. This is life. Everyone comes with his share of sorrows and joys. The sooner you realise that struggle is part of life, the better it is. Because I'm a celebrity, every deed is highlighted. My philosophy is simple, borrowed from my father: man ka ho to achcha, man ka na ho to bhi achcha (If you get what you want, it's good. If you don't, that's good too).

Q. What does that mean?
A. I'll tell you how it happened. Sherwood, where I was sent for my final three years of schooling, had a Geoffrey Kendall Acting trophy. I won the best actor award one year playing the lead in Gogol's The Government Inspector. The next year, I had every intention of winning it again, but on the eve of the play I got measles. I spent the entire duration of the play, Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, listening to it from my hospital room. But my father told me, 'Even if you are unhappy, God has a reason for it. He probably wants happiness for someone else.'

Q. How do you see yourself at 60?
A. Hoping to work in several more films, as long as my body allows me to, with a new generation of directors. I'm hoping to read some of my father's works on stage. Moreover, ever since my brother has left, I've become financially independent. Till he was in charge, I didn't know what money meant. Now, I manage my own finances and where I don't know something, I don't hesitate to ask. I don't mind looking like an idiot. I can talk about finances for hours with my friend Anil Ambani.

Q. What about politics?
A. No way. I have friends like Amar Singh and Bal Thackeray in politics. If they ask me to attend functions, I do. If others misconstrue it, I can't help it. I haven't said anything to suggest I'm in politics.