Amitabh Bachchan is back, older, wiser and as charismatic as ever. To say that Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of the American quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire, gave the actor a new lease of life is not enough. At least, not by the way, Mumbai's crowds went berserk over the actor's brief appearance for a film shot at the crowded Mahalaxmi station.

Bachchan was shooting for the film All The Best, produced by Gaurang Doshi and directed by Vipul Shah. The venue was the crowded Mahalaxmi. Platform No 1 of the station. The said platform is the disused portion of the station that was recently refurbished and revamped.

"It is nice to be back at a railway station and shooting. For me shooting at a station is like shooting anywhere else. I have shot at railways stations twice before. But now the crowds are much more. I have got an empty rained filled with junior artistes for the shoot. I didn't get the crowd," remarked Bachchan visibly awed by the commotion his presence was causing.

The crowds, however, could not have enough of Bachchan as they chanted "Amitabh, Amitabh" and implored him to wave at them. Which he obliged every few minutes. "Sahi jawab, they shouted," as Amitabh waved. There was palpable spasms of ecstasy when he got up and moved

Speaking informally to tehelka he said, that he's had his moments of insecurity and that desire to do something about it has urged him to go on. Standing next to him, Paresh Rawal, looked relaxed. He said he was enjoying himself to the hilt, playing a comic character in the film. "I am also doing serious roles, but here I love the character. I knew about this character long back. I have seen the original play Andhalo Pato (Blind Man's buff) and I have loved it," says Rawal who plays a blind man in the film.

The crowds, however, could not have enough of Bachchan as they chanted "Amitabh, Amitabh" and implored him to wave at them. Which he obliged every few minutes. "Sahi jawab, they shouted," as Amitabh waved. There was palpable spasms of ecstasy when he got up and moved.

And he moved like a king.

It was wonderful to see this man back at work. "I used to travel from Churchgate Station before. I used to live at Marine Drive. I used the train often before my first film. Even in my first film K A Abbas' Saat Hindustani, I shot a scene inside a train. The next time, it was during the shoot of the film Shakti. I had also shot at railway station for Coolie, but that was different," says Bachchan.

"It was essential for us to shoot at a railway station," says producer Gaurang Doshi. "We had no choice. The story demanded it."

Why didn't they shoot at the Kamal Amrohi Studios where a readymade railway station is available? "If you have noticed, it is not the one for 'local trains'. Even if we get a local train there, the problem at the Amrohi Studios is that, we have to do so many adjustments, and on top of it the city will not be visible. Here at Mahalaxmi station, you can see the city. At Kamalistan studios you can only see a jungle next to the station and that is not what we wanted," says Doshi.

As the crowds increased in numbers and every now and then surged forward to get a better glimpse at the actor it was left to the hapless cops to keep people at bay. Incidentally, the police at Amritsar Railway station faced a similar problem of controlling the crowds, when Punjab da puttar, Sunny Deol was shooting there for the film Gadar - The Revolution.

At Mahalaxmi, the heart of Mumbai, there were over hundred policemen. Many were armed with batons. Some even armed with revolvers.

Finally, after Amitabh enacted his role and emerged from the train, people went wild. Some ran towards him others arched forward only to be stopped short in their tracks by the lathi-wielding cops.

Some even stood on top of the railway signal to see Bachchan and were also given the stick. Everyone wanted to see and meet Bachchan. "It is amazing. The love of the people is amazing," said Bachchan.

Bachchan has a negative role in the film. "It is about a bank manager," says Bachchan. "I play an honest bank manager. I get angry every easily. I cannot tolerate indiscipline. One day, I see one of the employees in the bank cheating the customers. I am very upset. I have the habit of losing my temper often, and in the ensuing melee, I get very violent. A committee is appointed and I am removed from the bank. I am very angry now and want revenge. The only way I see out of this is to rob the same bank. I take the help of various people like Arjun Rampal, Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal to accomplish my goal. In the process I reach the station - here," said Bachchan.

The film has music by Jatin Lalit and has been written by Aatish Kapadia who had also penned the original play Andhalo Pato.