Amitabh to recite father's poetry in New York

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is set to recite his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's poems at a literary and cultural festival here next month.

The event called "Bachchan Sandhya" will be held Aug 18 at the Lincoln Center - a premier venue for the performing arts. The cultural do has been organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, US, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of India's independence and the centenary of late Harivansh Rai Bachchan, a celebrated Hindi poet and litterateur.

On the occasion, Amitabh's wife and actress Jaya Bachchan will offer her own reminiscences about the life and achievements of her father-in-law.

A dance-drama entitled "Jeevan", based on Bachchan's poems, will be presented by renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer Vaswati Mishra and her troupe.

Bachchan's best-known work is "Madhushala", a series of quatrains or rubai. On the surface, the book seems like an ode to alcohol, but is actually an allegory about the complexity of life. "Madhushala" has been recited by Amitabh and sung by Manna De on tape.