Bollywood Stars Decry Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai

Amitabh Bachchan, hero of Bollywood action blockbusters, was among India's movie stars who reacted strongly in Mumbai after terrorists attacked hotels, a railway station and an apartment in recent days, killing more than 140 people.

"My pain has been the sight and plight of my innocent and vulnerable and completely insecure countrymen, facing the wrath of this terror attack," Bachchan wrote on his blog. "And my anger has been at the ineptitude of the authorities that have been ordained to look after us."

Bachchan, 66, said he spend the entire day watching, with anguish and anger, the local television channels reporting on the terrorist attacks.

"I am ashamed to say this. As the events of the terror attack unfolded in front of me I did something for the first time and one that I had hoped never, ever to be in a situation to do," Bachchan wrote. "I pulled out my licensed .32 revolver, loaded it and put it under my pillow."

Bachchan, known as the "angry young man" for his roles portraying individuals fighting injustice, said he salutes the officers and police personnel who have laid down their lives.

"It's really devastating to see all that is happening in the city," Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore was quoted by the Indo-Asian News Service as saying.

"When I came to Mumbai, I stayed in the Taj Mahal hotel for a very long time," Tagore said, referring to one of the hotels where the attacks occurred. "So when I saw the hotel burning, I felt as if my house is burning."

Bachchan -- who was named the Greatest Star of the Millennium by BBC News online users in 1999 -- has been writing his "Big B" blog since April, using the site to make his views public on films, the industry and the media's portrayal of the actor and his family. The blog entries are frequently featured in the country's newspapers in their movie and gossip columns.

The blog is hosted by BigAdda.com, part of billionaire friend Anil Ambani's group of companies.