MUMBAI: Bollywood film 'The Last Lear', whose premiere was stalled by the activists of regional Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), gets ready to hit theaters across India.

Raj Thackeray, head of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), had issued the boycott threat on Monday (September 08) after superstar Amitabh Bachchan's actress-politician wife Jaya made a remark and spoke in Hindi at a Bollywood function in the city.

Putting the controversy behind, the crew of the film was in New Delhi on Thursday (September 11) to promote the film.

Director Rituparno Ghosh said, the idea behind the film was not to get trapped into any language, cultural or regional barriers, as a film reaches across the countries and barriers.

"The whole idea was not to get trapped in a language, culture or a regional trap. Culture and language and power of words can travel across any country or barriers, was the idea. What has happened was not planned, it happened as an accident, and we are really happy that we are past that," said Rituparno Ghosh, director.

Based on a Bengali play, 'The Last Lear' tells the story of a veteran thespian Harish Mishra played by Amitabh Bachchan who has bid final good bye to theater and has retreated to a quiet life.

Things begin to stir up when, much against his will, a hotshot film director Siddharth played by model-turned actor, Arjun Rampal, persuades him to act in his film that's about an old clown in a dying circus.

Boasting of a powerful star cast with likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Shefali Chhaya and Divya Dutta, the film has already generated interest amongst the audiences.

Model-turned actor Arjun Rampal, who created quite a stir recently with his performance in the movie, 'Rock On' seemed very upbeat about his performance.

Arjun, who plays 'Siddharth', a director who wants to cast an ageing Shakespearian actor in his film, said, his character was that of a perfectionist who tries to make a perfect film along with 'Harish' played by Amitabh Bachchan.

"Siddharth is a character who does want a perfect shot, everything to be correct and similarly Harry, Amit ji's character is very similar. He wants every action to be realistic and how both these characters come together and try to make that perfect film. Work transpires and everybody around, who is connected to them somehow or the other, how their lives get affected by these two characters. There, I think Siddharth tries his best," said Arjun.

Amitabh Bachchan, whose performance in the film is being hailed by the critics as one of his best so far, is playing a Shakespeare actor who is now retired and who wants to play King Lear.

According to the legendary actor, he had to do a lot of research for his role in 'The Last Lear' and has tried to incorporate those nuances in his character.

"Rituparno gave me a lot of books, lots of DVD's of great performers, Shakespearean actors, lots of literature of Shakespeare presentations, which was very difficult for me to read, but still I managed to go through some of it. And all those nuances I have tried to bring in this character which I feel would come across to the audiences," said Bachchan.

The film, in English, is releasing on Friday (September 12) across the country.