Amitabh Bachchan has never been a chief guest at the International Film Festival of India
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan as the chief guest at the 45th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
In response to a media query about Mr Bachchan's presence at the the 11-day International Film Festival of India which will commence from November 20, Mr Javadekar said, "We don't believe in untouchability and boycott. You will soon know who is our chief guest."
The minister was in Goa to oversee the preparations for the festival.
Mr Bachchan, arguably India's biggest filmstar, has never graced the IFFI as the chief guest, ever since the festival found a permanent home in Goa.
In 2004, he had attended the film festival as a brand ambassador for a mass media campaign on HIV/AIDS.
Organisers over the years claimed off the record that a rivalry between Mr Bachchan and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had resulted in the black-listing of the actor from the festival.
The organisers have this year extended an invitation to Mr Bachchan to attend the festival as chief guest.