Bollywood megastar to visit Oxford University

Legendary Indian film actor and producer Amitabh Bachchan will visit Oxford University on Tuesday 17 May 2011 and attend a lecture and dinner hosted by the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS). Mr Bachchan will be received by Oxford's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, and the Chair of the Board of Governors of the OCHS, Lord Navnit Dholakia. He will visit scholars and students at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, the Bodleian Library, and Trinity College. Oxford University has longstanding links with India, and Mr Bachchan will discuss these, the University's plans to strengthen its relationship with the country, and the developing field of Hindu studies at Oxford. Mr Bachchan will also attend the OCHS Distinguished Ford Lecture at the Examination Schools, given this year by Rachel Dwyer, Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London. Mr Bachchan will give a response to the lecture and answer questions from the audience. The Bollywood megastar has won numerous major awards, including The Government of India awards, the Padma Shri in 1984, and the Padma Bhushan in 2001.