Cine actor Bachchan's angry young man act effects a dip in polio cases in India

Mumbai, Dec 15 (PTI) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is elated that his angry young man act for the polio campaign has led to a decrease in the number of polio cases in India this year. Happy with the response to his polio campaign, the 69-year-old actor urged people to make India polio free. He has been serving as the goodwill ambassador for UNICEF since a decade, in eradicating polio. According to UNICEF, only one case of polio has been reported in India so far this year, as against 41 cases last year. In 2009, there were 741 cases of polio. "I am happy and proud with the remarkable progress.... We are close to eradicating polio in India. But despite all this, polio still remains a threat. Everyone must continue to immunise their children upto five years," Bachchan told reporters here Thursday. "The design and campaign team felt that we were too soft in our attitude. They wanted me to adopt the angry young man image that I had in films. And I told them if it works then I will do it. And I am happy that my scolding, shouting has worked in a better way," he said. The only case of polio this year was reported from Howrah in the eastern state of West Bengal in January. Since then there have been no cases. For the first time, polio endemic states of Uttar Pradesh in the north and Bihar in the east are free of polio for over a year. UP has been free of polio since April 2010 and Bihar since September 2010. "We are very close to eradicating polio in India. Now no child will be paralysed needlessly by polio. We must try to make polio history in India," Bachchan said. PTI Caption for pic: Cine actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan administering polio drops to a child during the launch of a new communication campaign against polio in Mumbai on Thursday. PTI Photo