Big B's absence from IIFA meet causes disappointment

New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) Superstar Amitabh Bachchan today missed his tryst with the media in the national capital, taking much of the sheen out of the press meet to announce the seventh edition of the Indian International film awards, to be held at Dubai from June 14.

Even as a horde of mediapersons had gathered at the venue of the press meet for an audience with the Bollywood superstar, a spokesperson from the Wizcraft entertainment private limited, the organisers of the IIFA, said Mr Bachchan would not be able to make it to the event as he had suddenly developed a muscular pain.

''We regret to announce that Mr Bachchan will not be able to make it to the press meet as he developed some muscular pain just before leaving from Mumbai for New Delhi,''the spokesperson said.

Shortly after the announcement, many of the media persons present were seen making their exit from the meet, leaving filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra, Vice president, marketing at Idea cellular and Vice president Marketing at Star India Ajay Vidyasagar to address a sparse crowd of presspersons.

Though actor Nandita Das, who was scheduled to address the meet, was also among those absent from the proceedings, it was Mr Bachchan's absence that caused even the much-touted 'question 'answer session' to turn out to be a 'no show'.

Perhaps sensing the disappointment of the mediapersons, the spokesperson of Wizcraft promised them an audience with the Big B in the next 15 days through one-to-one interviews.

It was perhaps the first time in the seven-year history of IIFA that the Big B missed a press meet to announce the awards.

UNI AR RP VV1936