Bachchan lands role in 'Gatsby'

LONDON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Australian director Baz Luhrmann has cast Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan in his big-screen adaptation of "The Great Gatsby," Warner Bros. said.

The BBC reported Bachchan will play gambler Meyer Wolfsheim in the latest retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1920s-era New York romance.

Luhrmann has begun shooting the film in Australia with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the title role.

"Over the years, Amitabh's films have made a tremendous impression on my life and work. His film 'Sholay' was my introduction to Indian cinema," the BBC quoted Luhrmann as telling Indo-Asian News Service in an e-mail interview.

Bachchan, 68, has appeared in more than 180 Indian films throughout his 40-year career.