Amitabh Bachchan has tweeted that he will be carrying the Olympic flame in London on Thursday

Amitabh Bachchan said he was “honoured” to be asked to carry the flame and that it was “a proud moment for me and the country”. The actor will be part of a relay team which will be carrying the torch.

The 69-year-old star has acted in more than 180 films and remains India’s most popular actor. “Honoured to be asked to carry the Olympic torch in London at Southwark around 10:30 BST,” Bachchan tweeted.

The star is not the only Indian celebrity to be associated with the London Olympics.

Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman has teamed up with Danny Boyle, artistic director of the opening ceremony, to compose a track for the pageant, reports say.

Rahman has written on his Facebook page that he has composed a “track in Punjabi celebrating the Indian influence in the UK”.

“It’s a part of a medley in the Olympic opening ceremony, according to Danny Boyle’s creative wishes”, he wrote.