Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai    Sept  13 , 2011   Tue  11 : 53 PM

As another day passes on the set of ‘Department’ a certain comfort begins to engulf you. You now seem to enjoy the experience, the fear of incompetence, the apprehensions of the first day seem to fade away, and primarily because the director gives a reassuring call by the end of last night.

There are times though when it becomes inevitable for the actor to assess his work himself. I have often wondered which is more correct - the actor or the director in his take on the take. Professionally we always want to give the credit of discipline to the ‘captain of the ship’. But there are indeed moments when clashes of difference do take place. I would avoid that at all costs. I would have all disagreements or points of conflict with the ‘captain’ before landing up on set. Once there, its the directors call. Unless of course there is such a great level of understanding between the two that mutual discussions on set could result beneficial to both. I would argue if I felt utterly uncomfortable with something that I was being asked to do, and I have been very fortunate that those that I have worked with have given me that liberty to express.

Some of the suggestions have worked wonderfully well. The impromptu attitude in front of the mirror in ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, the idea of dressing up in drag for the ‘mere angane’ number in Lawaris .. song situations and their tunes, the entire Agnipath attitude and style of speaking - something that I suggested onset for the very first shot on the very first day of shoot… and some more. But they have all been not imposed, they have been mutually agreed upon and then and only then executed. And there shall be many such incidents in the lives of artists that shall remain unknown and shall eventually get buried in the overall impact of the film. There is no desire I think or an inclination for the documentation of such events in our system. It is so in the West, particularly in the USA. It could be something to do with the fact that they are the youngest nation around, and therefore have had the desire and the need to be documenting all that the country has been through in as much detail as possible. I am certain each country has such systems in place, its just that perhaps there is no particular access to them. Or maybe there is and we in our ignorance have never desired to seek them !!

I believe the whole business of documentation, especially in our film industry has been completely missing. It is a shame that such archival works that would give all students and professionals of the craft a dedicated lesson in such mechanics, is sadly not readily available. In this age when storage or saving an account is done and accomplished by the push of a button, we are still hesitant to record for posterity.

I try and have been trying for some years now to document some of my events that appear on newspaper and in film and still photography through personal means. There are agencies and company’s that take on this task of filing all the news all over the world for you, and many contribute to such system. But I do not know why, I find that doing this job singlehandedly  and personally, is a different exercise altogether. The intensity and personal approval of what needs to be kept and what not, has more meaning for me when I mark and cut and paste myself. Or I photograph personally. It is much like many asking me whether my entire team of people that run my Blog stay up as late as I do to type and download and post pictures and articles for me. Ridiculous ! There is the satisfaction of doing all this with my own hands and that joy and satisfaction is irreplaceable ! With age I know matters shall slow down, but so long as the going is good … the going is good !!

The joy of doing it on your own has its great merits. The impersonal nature when assistance takes over is and has never been accepted by me and never shall ..

And so another post another day comes to an end … personally designed and executed by yours truly ..

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai Sept 12 , 2011 Mon 10:00 PM The first day of any film shoot is the most terrifying experience ever ..!! And i wonder if there are other colleagues of mine that face similar sentiment .. I am certain there are many !! Its such a peculiar feel .. I mean even though this is the 6th film with RGV, its never as though there is some comfort in that .. its always .. a fresh character, a new environment from the story point of view, a new set of assistants and crew .. fresh and new colleagues … and just no satisfaction in whatever is being done .. and by the end of the day, you come home destroyed with the thought of a most futile effort at the sets .. So I have just sent an sms to my director friend … no … not to say that I do not wish to work in the project because I am not getting it right, but to tell him how we could possibly improve or redo or some such thing to ease off this horrid feel of incompetence …. so I actually did that and while I was writing this he has replied and … well … I shall have to wait for the film to release to be able to share or disclose what exactly he had to say .. but … this I must say .. that there is a new kind of technology that RGV is using in this film and its revolutionary … There are no lights or cutters or filters or screens of reflectors … and … hold … there is no traditional camera either… yaaa .. its just natural lights whatever is available and … no DOP .. thats Director of Photography. Its just a bunch of guys holding digital 5D cameras, which really are normal still photography cameras, and they are being maneuvered randomly from different positions and angles by six or seven youngsters, moving about in as normal a manner as possible, without coming i the way of the artists as they perform… its .. what can I say .. a most unique methodology .. I have always felt that … and this I can say for myself only .. whenever I have rehearsed in the solitary confines of my room or van, the results have been far far better than when the camera starts to roll. Here .. today, in front of all these new cameras, the feel is as though you are not working for a camera per se, but almost in real time with a real situation .. I mean the feel is just unimaginable !! This is fascinating and some of the instant results that one gets to see in these situations is just incredible !! So .. it is quite possible that a sense that prevails in normal shooting conditions, because it does not prevail here, is why I may be feeling despondent .. So, my director just tells me … And I have no answer for it but to believe him and move on .. !!! But … and sorry to keep getting back to the shoot .. the feeling of this experience is quite quite remarkable. No typical instructions on set, no commands of ‘lights, start sound, camera, clap, action’ .. nothing. You just keep doing what you have to do, even while rehearsing and the cameras, almost unseen are recording all and in a couple of days shall be edited and put up before us to reckon whether what we did was just or not … A new film a new character a new environment and … a new technology !!! I am blessed to have the opportunity to be alive and working when I can be at the other end of an invention, a trend that shall hopefully bring about a change in the way we work or have been working till date … I fear I was too apprehensive when I started, but feel much the better now and indeed more hopeful than just lamenting the fact that I have gone horribly wrong … Okkaaayyyy … so this is a new film and one in which I am doing a friendly appearance for some days and that shall be it … More on this as we proceed but suffice to say that todays first day was full of apprehension, but different … The shoot was conducted in a studio, which must have been a part of an Industrial Estate, tucked away behind commercial structures and most unlike regular floors in a studio complex. It is a structure bang opposite what was once Mohan Studios, a most remarkable location where we spent most of our early years with Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Prakash Mehra on films like Anand, Parvana, Guddi, Chupke Chupke, Abhiman, NamakHaram, Mili, Alaap, Jurmana, Bemisal, Kalia, Muquaddar ka Sikander and gosh just an endless list of fantastic times with some of the most accomplished directors of our time. The great Bimal Roy shot most of his films at Mohan Studios … !!! What a location … lost today to the concrete commercialisation of the city. It has now grown huge skyscrapers on and about it and has buried in its deep basements the dynamic artistry of great film makers and technicians and artists. What an end to such talented creativity ..!! The scourge of most artists and their genius the world over .. from time immemorial .. !!! Good Night ! Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai Sept  8 , 2011 Thu  11 : 30 PM

Was to work today … cancellation .. and another off day to recover from ailment … but work just springs out of the woodwork and BAM ! .. before long we are in the thick of it, not knowing when it all began and when it shall end ..

Shobhaa De, the eminent writer and columnist, sent across a gentle lady to take my views on ’sanskaar’ and its power in the lives of us as Indians. How does one really begin to describe what ’sanskaar’ means to an audience that does not understand the language. I have no word for it in the language that you now read … I know that I was fortunate to have possessed the virtues of ’sanskaar’ from my family and I hope and pray that generations after me shall, within the family, continue with them.

I am asked how does one develop them, where did they go with the present generation, have we lost them in changing times, how important are they to us in our social standing. I have nowhere to go to explain such questioning. I have not deliberately been given lessons on the subject and neither has there been a concerted effort by anyone, particularly my parents and family, to formally teach me what this aspect of living was all about. But … I observed that when elders entered the room, the young stood up in respect. I observed that the heads of family and those that were given honor and pride of place were the ones that you with regard and servility, touched their feet for their blessings. In a restaurant with my Mother for coffee, I was corrected by her when I stared at an outsider unknown, with more than deliberate intent. A fleeting glance was considered a more aesthetic manner of behavior. I noticed that the ‘ji’ was to be more respectful than a ‘tu’ .. though in some languages of the country the ‘tu’ is considered a more endearing term.

Opening doors for ladies, ushering them on before you, pulling out their chairs and seating them at tables, sitting down after they were seated .. were perhaps more to do with manners and perhaps a kind of discipline that we were initiated into, but does it come under the realm of ’sanskaar’ …? I wonder !

A well mannered attitude was considered as possessing a good ’sanskaar’. How one behaved in public, how one delivered within the morals of agreeable society, was more to do with ‘in possession of good sanskaar’.

I cannot put my finger to a moment when I was taught it - sanskaar ! It was something that simply one acquired over time. Something that was unspoken and unsaid yet said and spoken of. You either had it or you did not. If I am responding to the sms or messages on the mobile and the laptop with a certain degree of promptness, it may not be considered as an act of correctness and discipline, but certainly would go down in the mind of the receiver as an act that emanates from ‘achche sanskaar’.

If I have spoken or written about incidents that have been memorable and of relevance to me in this blog, and they have found some patronage among a few, it is not coming from ’sanskaar’. It is what I picked up from my Father or Mother as a lesson to learn from. To equate it to ’sanskaar’ would not entirely be correct. That I have felt the lesson important enough to work by it and abide with it, could well be termed as one that has a certain ’sanskaar’.

There is however a concern about the changing trends in our society. The oft repeated refrain is, that this generation has not kept up the ’sanskaar’ they should have. Maybe maybe not. Each generation has its own view point and morals and methods of what it thinks to be morally right. They may not agree with mine, but I would, if ever I were to be confronted, give reasonable license to cover the decade change that we have now come to accept. Provided those that asked for it came forward for it in the spirit of understanding and more importantly understood the lasting fact that liberations in behavior does not give them the license to compromise with their ’sanskaar’.

There may be reasonable argument against this as well. Fair enough. But that is the precise understanding that I talk of. Each parent may have a different point of view. And if they are liberal enough to accept the natural change in the decade, then they must also accept the natural exigencies that may occur with the generation that has just stepped into a world where they may not be too willing to accept what has remained with them in the past. Change is a natural equation for progress and development. Not just in the material sense, but also in the manner in which life conducts itself. Yes the youth shall bring about another aspect and we must learn to respect that, but within the boundaries of a ’sanskaar’ that was imbedded in us as the young. Those shall remain - should remain !!

You are polite and generous to the contestants that arrive on the HotSeat in KBC ! Yes I am ! I am so because to me my little technologically proficient region of the KBC set is my home. When you come and sit by me you have entered my home and I shall treat you with the politeness and generosity that I would any other that would come to Jalsa. This is not habit or good manners, well maybe it is, but ideally it would be referred to as being in possession of good ’sanskaar’.

My genetic body tells me to rest now … my mind wishes to stay back with you …’sanskaar’ does not come in here. But if I were to end today by not acknowledging your presence and wishing you well, it would go down as not ‘having good sanskaar’ …

Good night then and may all of you be safe and well looked after … including today in particular for Shams, who celebrates her birthday tomorrow the 9th . Happy birthday Shams … and may you continue to be your delightful self as ever !!! Love

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai  Sept 7,  2011  Wed 11 : 50 PM

Before all else,  it is sad to note that Mrs Keren’s Father passed away today and we at the blog and in the Ef family extend our deepest condolences .. prayers with you and your loved ones ..

Life and nature have many different ways of expressing themselves .. there is the acceptance of great enthusiasm at what we would in normal circumstances call ‘job well done’. And simultaneously there is the regret and shock of what man does to man .. not satisfied with this, nature or Mother nature wishes to express itself too and shakes its belly with thunderous appearance in and around the same center that has aroused consternation and temper, in the morning.

A regularity of this kind diminishes the faith in normal existence. There is no fear, just acceptance and a complacent look at all that goes about. Life and its frailties, uncertainties, keep reminding us from time to time that we are not and never shall be the masters of our own destiny, for just when we begin to assume that that is what our strength is, the earth shakes itself in disapproval and at the other end fills someone of us with a mind full of vengeance and destruction and death, without any gain or purpose. What guides them to this state. What incites them to take life away from another. How do they ever exist when they know that innocents that they may never have even seen or heard, shall be wiped out in one fell blow … and to what end ? I have no answers !!

I am indeed very disturbed at certain procedures that puts others suspected of wrong in confinement. I am disturbed and angry at the temerity of the operations that take away the lives of our own. And I am helpless in front of the wrath and anger of the elements, reminding us of its absolute presence when all else fails or lies dormant.

There is but one solution which I believe belies all else … it is the solution of work ! The heavens may break and slide away or down, the rivers may flood and destroy, the oceans may part not necessarily as per the Bible … but work within all this has a habit of destroying all else ! Some work for the need, others for the need of fulfilling a dream, and some for just work .. its manifestations being admitted as some that needs to be done just to be occupied.

I think one reaches a stage in life when all that he or she wishes is to be at work, irrespective of its value or meaning. There is no wonderment, no apprehension of the outcome, just a desire of being in an environment because there is an environment. It is a stage where nothing seems to amaze you, scare you or even distract you. You may never acknowledge the fact that certain aspects of our lives get built around by us and not necessarily to compliment us. It may well be the other way round. But by and large one reaches a stage when it would not matter. And that is the point that signals a point of no return. Many of us shall reach that destination and drift away, unaware of the fact that they are being drifted away in this sea of temptation not by your own choice but by the circumstances of life. Its acceptance is the most vital. I accept it not because I need for it to be vital. I accept it because it gives me the involvement of work. For, without it, there would never be the need for any thing else.

Small steps taken in any particular direction, need not necessarily be small. But … they must be firm and in firm belief ! Belief it is that shall become our guardians and our resolve. Without it all around us would look so pale and pallid ..

Love to all and in small but believed moments ….

Amitabh Bachchan blog

Jalsa , Mumbai  Sept  6 , 2011  Tue  11: 29 PM

A day of surprises .. a day spent at locations that haunted me in the early days of my struggle in this formidable Industry and film .. a location where many a memory of triumph fills you with emotion and pride .. a location where failure demoralizes the very spirit of existence … a location that inspires one to fight and reclaim lost ground .. a location that treats you with disdain, and within a spell welcomes you with servility and manner …

I am there with Jaya for the shoot of another version of the Tanishq jewelry campaign that had brought us together for this client and made great viewing among the trade when it was last released. The tone and tenor of this one too shall spell similarity with the one gone by, but hopefully shall add a little more.

The floor is freezing cold with the excessive airconditioning. And this is a vast contrast from the sets of KBC where we have been struggling with the cooling for days. Luckily the time of concert is winter and so that warm jacket and the scarfs around the neck are for once a welcome gift of apparel ..

It is Filmistan Studio and it is the place where I attempted to enter on many an occasion to seek a job and would get turned out by the gate keeper on arrival. But this is too the studio of ‘Nasseb’ and K3G and Black and millions of other glorious moments. The place and its environs have not changed at all. A few cosmetic changes have occurred, but the structures and the ambience have remained the same. In particular the semi open aired canteen which made the most delicious sugar on toasts, the only meal we could afford and the only place where we would get space to rest our struggle worn body. There are identifiable faces that man the doors of the studio floors. They have aged beyond recognition, but still man the same doors, with that same welcome smile and affection, only now I notice a certain reserve within them of embarrassment, a withdrawal as I step in and greet them. They - with the wonder whether I still recognize them. I - with the wonder to still find them at their posts after all these years !!

When I shake their hand or put my arm around their shoulder in affection they seem to almost melt in humility wondering whether I show them respect or sympathy. They have lived in this temperament throughout. I do not blame them for being thus. For they could not have been any other. They are simple souls. Their simplicity to me is their greatest strength, content as they are in this their final and perhaps ultimate post.

With love and affection and a healthy and good night .. for tomorrow is another day …

A day when we shall wish Renate a very happy birthday today before we go there .. love and happiness always to you ..

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai   Sept  5,  2011 Mon 11 : 30 PM

Reeham .. !! Many happy returns of the day ! May you remain ever happy and prosperous, may all your troubles be shared and over. May the grace of your affection spread among all the EF, and may you forever be with smile and love … Happy birthday  !!!

As I sit down for my daily ritual at my laptop, I register that I have only just returned from a rather tough and tiring day at KBC. Fulfilling but tough. The show format is a given and cannot be changed, but the quality of those that come with immense expectancy on the Hot Seat in front of me, are made of sterner stuff. They are the true India that we seldom get to see. They have principles, humbleness, grit and dignity despite their most unlivable conditions. They have a smile on their faces and a hidden emotion within. They are self respecting and determined. They have pinned their hopes and desires on this one moment in their lives and they are confident of achieving all that life has to offer them.

My admiration for all of them increases by the day. Theirs is not a story of weak elements, of despair and the reality of grim situations. Theirs is the life well lived in hardship. A life they dream of changing each day. Some of them have waited for 10 years in the hope that one day they shall make it. And when they do, they are unable to control their burst of emotions. How much it has meant to them to be in a situation where they get an opportunity to compete with their knowledge - one that they may have also acquired at great price - is astonishing !! They are the ones that make this show so desirable and wanted, for they know, that in this opportunity of theirs lies greater talent, greater wisdom and greater creations !!

I cringe at the thought of the atrocities that many face, as a result of this disproportionate existence. But I also value deeply the effort and perseverance of those that struggle ; those that have no record of parentage, of their education and the practical process of their lives, steeped in poverty and want, but dignified in their want.

Tomorrow I work with Jaya in continuation of our campaign for Tanishq the jewelry store. And after that it shall be back to KBC and more  …

My health improves, but gradually. I cannot say that it has deteriorated, or gone slack and beyond improvement. It has not. But its nagging presence in the system has indeed kept us all alive and kicking …whether for the good of humanity, or the upliftment of those that have lost opportunity ..

The smile on those that have perhaps never had any reason to do so .. is a self winding machine. They sometimes do not admit it for fear of embarrassment, or derogatory talk within. They have had ample time and space to bring about a resolution to this issue …

I shall rather wait for them, than act rashly towards ..

Love to all ~

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai  Sep 2 , 2011 Fri  11: 57 PM

Will is the key to all that we do imagine and conceive. Will it and it shall appear. Will it and it shall happen. Will it and something will give. But will it. Do not pretend that you have willed. Do not just say that you have willed when inside you know that you have not. Willing is not an easy task. The strength of your conviction, the strength of your sense and the strength of your import, counts the most.

I shall will it if there is reason enough to use its propensity. I shall will it if it were to be utilized for a common cause - or really for a cause not mine. That would be a more pragmatic view. One that would not smell or stink of selfish desire. Indeed I wish if i could will it for someone else all the time. The satisfaction that it would give me would make amends for all the wrongs that I may have indulged in.

Yes my condition on the chest is bad - I seem to have lost my voice completely. A husky whisper is all that I am able to muster. And as I rise in the darkness of the early morn, the one thought that gives me concern is the worth of my work that is follow for the day. It is not my own condition that alarms me, it is my commitment to the job that I have been contracted for. Home and hearth insist that I remain back and rest and medicate myself. I do. Not stay back but do medicate. But work I must. And so I leave and so I envelope myself in my work and so I make effort to deliver. May not be the amount that I would have liked to but still, deliver in some form. It is not my best that I can do under the circumstances, but it is something that I can do and have done ! It is not the quality of the work that matters, it is the desire to complete an assignment undertaken. Yes there shall be arguments that shall be contrary to what I write, but in the end the world will have to be seen from a perspective that caters to all and not just one. Its the ‘boxing ring’ effect which I have often described in my earlier posts. Many shall scream and shout and advise and direct and give their own version of how the guy they back inside the ring needs to defend or fight. But they are not the ones inside, they are outside without any gloves, without an opponent. I am the one inside. I am the one getting hit. I am the one that shall need to fight back and defend myself, to asess and deploy my own strengths to ward off an attack.

I shall always find myself in that situation. And all others that sympathize with me shall always find themselves in their own situation. You will cheer and love and promote and wish, but I shall have to fight for it to all come true - if at all it does !!

Ok enough of ‘gyaan’ given … ha ha ha !! Time to listen to some of the saner voices that trouble me from the inside …

” get to sleep they say” ! I think that that is a wise decision !!

My love to all of you and more …

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai  Sept 1, 2011 Thu  11 : 54 PM

There is something so mesmerizing about the ” Godfather ” that even after so many years of its making and release, it still remains fresh and attractive every time you see it. On a rare off day today, I remained that lazy unperturbed bird, curled up on a couch and back to back watched the Godfather Series - perhaps a version which was the directors cut and so a longer version and having scenes that were not seen before.

I remember the first time I saw the film. It was in England long after its release. Those days the film releases from USA did not arrive in India for months. Salim Sahab and Javed Sahab were with me in London for a short break during the shooting of ‘Sholay’ and we were desperate to see the film at the first opportunity. Some time had elapsed since its release and it was not running in any theater in the city. We discovered that a nearby town was screening the film in a small unknown theater and we caught a train to get to the venue to catch the film. It was spell binding ! It is one of those films that remain with you for eternity - Godfather, Gone with the Wind, Kaagaz ke Phool, Limelight - just their mention brings so many moments back to us.

The selection of the players in each Part of Godfather, the locations and the performances simply flawless. And even today decades later there is still so much to learn from them. One imagines that with the passage of time, craft and technique would age and become stale or irrelevant. But no, not a single frame or performance or moment in the film seems like it can be replaced with anything better. No never. And that really is the truth about classics.

And the funny part is that after viewing an impressionable film or series, you begin to get so involved in them that you actually start behaving attitudinally like the characters in the film .. Ha ha ..

So right now I may be typing out a quick message for the Post on the blog, anxious about getting to bed soon for the KBC shoot tomorrow, but you live with Vito Corleone and Michael and Brando and deNiro and Pacino - your walk your attitude and your speech suddenly acquire the likes of the greats above, much to the consternation and surprise of the staff, who wonder whether it was better that ‘Saab’ had gone to work than have stayed back in the house !!!

I must retire. I know that I have been inconsequential in my content these past few days, but my timings have gone somewhat out of control and as soon as I can gather them up, I shall be more concentrated and collected and perhaps more expansive ..

Till then .. my love with you and my thoughts …

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai  Aug  31,  2011 Wed  11 : 56 PM

There is such beauty in waking up and having nothing to do … but sleep off a jet lag ! Thats if you have one. Surprisingly its not bad at all and makes me wonder if its got something to do with coming home !!! Ha !!

Also there had been very heavy rain for the past few days … but today .. nope ! It stopped and the sun was out … and i just discovered I had not seen the sun in three months until Sydney , so today out in the open was an added luxury. Feeling good, despite a bad chest which is taking a while to heal … but getting there, gradually …

And the cricket seems to be slipping out of India’s hands again .. its T20 today and in front of me on Tv as i write off to my EF .. some of the benefits of not having to worry about getting up early to work !

Met up today with some future projects in the making .. and all seem excited and raring to go. Just working out the time and dates and positioning them keeping in mind other projects and of course KBC, which goes on till October.

There is now a very concerted effort to get recitations of my Father’s poetry going … There is a great amount of interest from different towns in the country and surprisingly some from outside the country too .. Nothing quite as satisfying as being connected with the great works of my Father.

Okaay … ! Cricket going really bad … depressing ! But well .. what to do …

Good night … more later or tomorrow ..

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Singapore Airport Lounge, Singapore               Aug 30,  2011                      Tue  7:08 PM

Between flashes of Johnny Depp in a ‘Pirates’ film, another really weird one where humans became blue humans having strange powers, of flight and destruction and wars between two mighty nations, a rather long flight has ended at Singapore. I wait in the lounge for my next connection to Mumbai and knowing that after landing I shall be in no state to open or put to thought any thing, I felt I should utilize this moment to connect to those who follow with such dedication and love - my dearest and nearest EF …

Its been a most exhausting trip. The distance of jet travel does not give you occasion to recover, and before you realize you are on to the next act, virtually. Back home shall be the incessant pressure of work on KBC and other immediate matters on film and their preparations. As they unfold I shall share with you all that beckons me now, but I do understand the value and meaning of all my FmXt in their concern for my health and the need to rest. I shall, this I promise.

I shall end now for I see hectic activity to board the next leg. But before I go a few words from a dear friend, which I thought were most meaningful -

” He who speaks for mankind only speaks for one half of humanity, and only silences the other half. ”

Love and more ~

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Sydney , Australia Aug 29 , 2011 Mon 10 : 30 PM


The ending of another day, another time another world. In ways the same but in ways beyond. Disclosure did mean not much, for there must be meaning to it. Right now there is none.


Its travel time again and back to roots and home. Time has been spent well and hopefully judiciously. Days ahead will tell us whether it was fruitful or not. We wait at times to get results. Patience pays, but often the impatience of others is hard to forgive and forego. Just when you are tempted to submit to the impatience, your strength reappears and one succeeds. It is that one instant that signifies your own foresight and judgement.


There have been times in ones life and in mine particularly, when it has taken a large bit of time to understand the above, but in the end it has all worked. Wait for the moment if you are right and it shall come. Speculate guess and move on assumption and you may never achieve the result you wish.



There have been moments when the music of the earth heard on the earth of another sounds most rewarding. Distance makes it so. Being away from the soil awakens in us our heritage. We may be different and from different regions and areas and countries and lands, but the commonality of expression and belief that ranges and rages within us keeps us grounded to the soil of our land.


It is strange but true.


I sat by in local company today to speak about our land our people and ourselves. I felt an urge to do so, with pride. I also felt that others know little of what we do, what we are and where we are. It feels good to tell, but also feels bad to tell what is not.


I am unconvinced with many aspects, but that does not mean I am not convinced with many. I am. Never did mankind get all that he supposed he would get. Never did mankind not get what he did. Its a beautiful balance and the acceptable one is the one that shall always succeed.


Honor and respect with what we have, instead of crib and cry on that which we do not. I am happy with what I get from my EF and I persevere to preserve it. Whether or not I succeed in doing so is questionable, but never has there been any discomfort if I have not. Yes there shall be complaints and snide remarks and abuse, but then there are the love and affection too. There is the discord on some of the practices being followed, yet there is love for the common goal. The base when preserved will and does prove to be of value. Weaken it and all shall fall. One black sheep does not destroy the whole. It does stand out, but then that is the way it shall remain - black and with black recognition ! Let them be. If we shall study our mind with fault, fault is all that we shall ever see.


Live, love and breath … its the best to be this way …


Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Sydney , Australia Aug 28 , 2011 Sun 9 : 00 PM


As Hurricane Irene hits the East Coast of the USA, we all pray that those that inhabit these areas remain safe and secure … take precaution and do take care ..


Its been a lazy Sunday. But productive. There has been a concerted effort to get rid of the jet lag and perhaps tomorrow morning should be an indicator of where one stands as far as that is concerned. Getting the body clock to adjust to these rapid time line changes and then functioning normally is a nightmare. The fear is always of dozing off at crucial moments when all attention needs to be required. Part of the kind of world we live in today …


Apart from making desperate attempts to bring the time line of my body in tune with that of this new destination, I did spend sometime in reading about the city and the country I now am in. And I am amazed at the significance and the importance of Sydney not just as a progressive city, but its importance as the first recipient of the settlers that came in from England in 1788. For those that were discarded, as history goes, from civil society in Europe to be banished in a sense, from all kinds of social livelihood to have emerged in the world scenario as one of the most important and valued nations of the world is quite a remarkable story. And it all began here, just outside my window where I find myself in, at the harbor below.


Meanwhile back in my own land and country, history is being made too, by the evolution of people power, in an attempt to bring the wrongdoers to book. To eradicate the evils of corruption and to bring accountability and honesty in public life. And … in a non violent protest, by one single human !


The strength of solo effort mind and application has the power to move many a mountain … and no where could this be truer than what one individual belief did. The initial step to correction has been taken, the battle has been won but the war remains. True victory shall only be registered when we shall win the war. The step taken has been lauded and noticed and given due respect. It now becomes the duty of every individual to persist and persevere in maintaining all that has been achieved and to add to it rather than allow it to fall and fail.


The responsibility is greater now. Success is easy, maintaining it is the difficult part. Constancy of regulation and adherence to the rule and law, committed discipline and a functioning of some uniformity, is called for at times like this. That really is the challenge. In a country that drives itself with so much diversity within and without and still progresses well, is the biggest credit to India. As the largest functional democracy in the world it has set many examples of its integrity as far as that is concerned. No other country with such a large diverse culture has managed the way India has and that to me as an Indian makes me most proud.


Good night dearest ones …


Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

ydney , Australia   Aug  27 ,  2011  Sat  11 : 45 PM

Jet lag prevents from following any kind of normalcy, so I decided to get back to my EF and share a few pictures from out of my window in Sydney ..

The Sydney Opera … glorious structure ! Any idea why it is shaped thus .. ?

The Harbor Bridge and the Opera … two disimilar temperaments do you not think .. one harsh and practical and dark and architectural necessity .. the other white and bright and elegant and almost musical in design …

Enjoy … I attempt to be back in bed and perhaps catch some winks .. or else a movie, or a Rugby game !!

Love to all

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Sydney , Australia  Aug 26 , 2011 Fri  10 : 00 PM

You know …. there are some things in life that we learn to respect, even when we know that most of the learning years of life have gone by. There are endless moments, opportunities, incidents that take place which tell us ‘ buddy you ‘aint done yet, till you ‘aint done .. ‘ . You know what I mean ? Perhaps not. But trust me, you will know. And I think that this is the ultimate truth .. about life. Just when you feel that ‘thats about it’ , it catches you by the throat, well ok .. just catches you and leads to a destination an evolution an experience, which makes you gasp in wonder and admit internally -

” Bloody hell ! I need to start all over again … ! ”

I am not so sure whether, in this extenuated condition of mine  I could or would be able to take all that up, but … damn I’m gonna give it a try !! And that ladies and gentlemen is the essence of all that I shall conclude for today. So long as it is moving, it is worthy of action, of indulgence, attempt, trial, learning and experimentation.

I sat out in the sun for a while today. And I realized I had not done that, in almost 3 months ! The sun, surya,the giver of light and energy and produce. Of time and degree of movement, relatively - rising from the east and setting to the west. We move, not the sun. But we judge and calculate and conduct as if it moved. Our prayers our festivals our routines… our bodies, respond to it. Respond to the brightest symbol on one that burns. A ball of unimaginable power and fire. Fire that destroys. Dreaded, but revered in prayer - through that havan in Hindu prayer, that candle or flame in other Christian and many other forms of worship, in that incense that burns in holiness, that diya of pious countenance. Possible only and perhaps placed because, of its respectful servility to one that burns - Fire !

And look at the countless manifestations of it …. that ‘burning desire’, cursed with the prospect of ‘burning in hell’ … ‘boiling in our own stew’ with envy jealousy and contempt. To reach a ‘burning point’  or ‘issue’ of no return in discussion or debate. The ‘fire within’ to achieve, a ‘burning passion’ to reach a goal, or to express in amorous physicality … to have been ‘burnt up’ when extended beyond human limit and perseverance … to simply burn …

as I do now …

Good night !!

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Sydney, Australia  Aug 25 , 2011 Thu 10 : 30 PM

Aaahhhh ! Finally at destination after a long long flight, first to Singapore through thunder storms over the Bay of Bengal, which was pretty frightening and then connecting immediately to Sydney, on much smoother conditions and most hospitable reception. It is deep into the night and the city looks beautiful. Nice clear skies, hardly any noise and the view from my window of the Sydney Opera just amazing. A hot shower and a bit of food and then to bed for an early start tomorrow.

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Last night was tight. Had to finish 2 episodes for KBC and then rush to the airport. The second was with Katrina and Imran there to promote their film ‘Mere brother ki Dulhan’, and that turned out quite entertaining. But the time machine running fast had me on nerves. The thought of not being able to connect to the Ef and the blog was as frightening as getting caught up by airport security for the possession of goods not permitted, so the moment I got a small little corner in the waiting area in the lounge of the airport, I quickly scribbled up something. Apologies about that.

It has been an exhausting ride and I will ask to be excused early today, for I need to rest my weary bones. I shall fill everyone up by tomorrow on more, but till then may I just say that I am with you all in spirit and heart and hope that your prayers shall ever remain with me …

Love

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa  , Mumbai  Aug  23 , 2011 Tue/Wed  1 : 00 AM

Now there remains no sense of time place and objectivity. There is work scheduled in such manner that shifting and replacing it with a phone call with a loved one, or even address an issue that hovers painfully above all of us dangerously, has become an object that does not require immediate attention.

It has been a moment of great concern that we have begun moving about like robots. Here there and everywhere. There is commitment and there is promise, there is work to be done and work to be done. Postponing it is not a recommended idea, but yes, if it serves the purpose then move ahead !

Before I go into a delirium and start punching words and expressions that shall defy all logic and sense. let me warn you that I have just successfully conducted my 5th yawn as I sit to reply to all.

It is a moment of the day that I look forward to .. a moment when I shall be able to spend sufficient time, to repay to thank and to establish that , it takes just mere imagination to round up support or destroy good will. May we all vote for the latter and may we all prosper from that decision.

I travel again tomorrow beyond Indian shores and I do hope the trip shall be memorable, successful and worthy of the cause. Life has become, beyond the fees that you get, a most profitable venture. For in the spare times of interaction and conduct one meets the real Indian. His issues and his pain. His days of frolic and despair. But never one without the other. Wherever there shall be peace, there springs up dramatically, all the other that seem to be the cause for such haste and urgency. But why only we. There has been far too many years of subjugation to the script and screenplay, to those that read and write. To those that shall at this point reach - the doors are open to public debate, healthy discussion and final conclusion :

Unless one screams and shouts in today’s world nothing gets done and life stagnates. Students and well wishers shall keep advising you on several choices, but the ultimate choice is slightly different in nature.

Let there be many opportunities in life. Let there be freedom and may peace prevail, one and all all the time .. May it happen … thank you ..

My love

Mahaprahbhu ki kripa sey, main aaj is liye nahin hoon ki mujhe na aane say, paruntu that if you were to take up this surprise, it would be pretty useful ..

Good night my friends and members of the family .. it is short but sweet and will be most gullible .. so ..

Many happy turns for the day and much more when we return. Not everyone would like to thekhai this risk .. you win many hearts, may they continue ……

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai Aug 22, 2011 Mon 11 : 57 PM


It is difficult to perceive how exacting a job it is to produce a Tv show. It is even more exacting to know that lack of co ordination even at the smallest level, can cause anguish and misery in the final output. Equally it is most comforting to know that without the coordination of hundreds of others, a show of some magnitude can never be termed as one being successful.


I have worked in Tv for more than a decade now and can respectfully say that it always has been a most trying experience. But it must be said, that nothing could be more exciting and satisfying than being involved in one of them.


Yes the hours and the labor that goes into one such show is beyond comprehension. And were one to be a first hand on the spot observer, one would have nothing but marvel inscribed deeply within them. It is a wonder at times how things eventually fall into place, but fall in place they do …. and succeed !


The drain on energy for the entire day in front of Tv cameras is immeasurable. You need the support of various factors to get you through the day. But they do get through, miraculously though.


I find pens an interesting gift - most of the time to myself ! Finding a correct and attractive model for yourself is one of the high points of one’s life. Do any of you remember the very first pen you possessed and how it had become an integral part of your daily routine. You cared for it like you would your own body. Wash it, clean it, keep it not too far away from sight. Use it judiciously in writing out the most important letters of your existence, gracefully holding its unique body to form some of your most important private thoughts. Protecting it with your life, keeping it close to your body and on your personal as a symbol of one that was learned and dignified.


That joy of running it through the pages of paper, of stopping by an ink pot to drop all excess into the bottle or to fill up the tank on the pen with delight. To adjust to the variations that have since developed in ink filling - the tissue paper on hand to wipe out that excessive ink from the pot. The first induction of the ball pen and the wonder in our minds of how a pen without the benefit of any carry over ink, could possibly survive. But survive it did and continues to do so.


Some of the features that still remain valid and potent are the different types of the nib - broad, medium, fine, calligraphic … and so on ! And then the moment of decision when you approach a book store or one that could be safely called a stationary store, to scribble with dipped ink, on the pad of paper that is offered for tests. The scribblings that come to your sight are sincerely amazing. Most of the time they are somewhat selfish. You always end up scribbling your own name in various forms and deciding which pen and with which you would move ahead. The doodlings on the spare paperwork at most such stores, would be a treasure trove in a few years to come. It would make interesting reading to find out what the state of mind would have to be, to execute such sudden change.


But yes the writing on the pages of pages of paper and then the realization of its futility, does make for a case of lack of interest for the environment. Gallons of ink later, multitudes of spare paperwork to be signed or consulted on, you suddenly discover, damn I should have done it on a keyboard and restored a record and file for its discovery after a few years. But that special charm of opening an old letter, sent ages ago by your friend, or discovering some of the ruthlessness of those that were abusive towards our existence. The analysis, the commentary, the reasonable doubt, all fall into place as the years and days go by, assured that all that was constructed and maintained was indeed for our own good. And even if it was not, so what, at least it was maintained and kept for so long.


I don’t know … whether all this makes any sense at all .. i would like all of you to believe that it was meant to be just that …


My love as always


Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan Blog

Jalsa , Mumbai 

Aug 21 , 2011

Sun 11 : 59 PM

Had been to New Delhi overnight to be with family .. but work too needed attention and so took the first flight out and straight to the studio to record episodes for KBC. If anyone ever felt that Tv was an easy job they must come and join me on the sets when I work and realize that it is one of the most complicated and hardest jobs that exist in the field of entertainment. For one that has limited capacity of speech, more so in the company of people, it is an arduous task for me to talk non stop for hours on end on the set … mostly extempore !!

But the affection that one gets from the game audience at the studio that sits patiently behind and around me is the greatest reasons for doing what I do for KBC. Their disciplined sitting, their silence during the moments of test of a contestant and then the out pouring once the show gets over is the essence of the entire day spent moment on set. Their enthusiasm gets the show really going and on its feet. Their involvement gives us courage to perform. Their applause and love moulds our temperament, which eventually reflects on our speech and face when we test the knowledge of our contestants.

And it is they that get our game going and giving us the required TRP, which I must say turned out to be rather flattering, or so I am informed by the COO N.P Singh of Sony. The opening day ratings have emerged from the three metros and the average is a most flattering 5.24, about the same as last seasons opening. In Delhi it was around 8.0 !! But averaged out its 5.24. The official results shall be out soon, but NP told me that Sony actually, thanks to KBC, became No 1 channel for two days, before settling down to its no 3 position !! That was some achievement !! This is unexpected simply because the show is on a second season from last year and it was not felt that it would do so well. It shows then that the interest of the people of this country remains steadfast towards the show and that is the most encouraging part.

There have been some very interesting contestants and most interesting stories around them. Yes there are some that have come from humble backgrounds, but equally there are those that come from the urban centers and all have the most incredible stories to tell. It is impossible at times not to get involved with their life and to see them play for high stakes, knowing that the amount they shall win shall be of tremendous help to them. But the one salient feature that is noticed is that there is a tremendous feel for their self respect, when they talk about the many complexities that their lives have gone through. They may come from humble homes, they may not never have seen or even heard of the kind of money that is promised in the game show, but play they shall with the hope of winning that magical amount to take care of a long standing loan, a home that they wished to build, a support that they needed to give to older parents and the younger children and nothing for themselves. It is I believe the value of the culture that this country has given us in abundance. Our ethics and our nature all rolled into one. It makes me proud to have been in their company, to have sat across them and to have in some way shared their agony and the eventual delight in their winnings.

Tomorrow is another day among them and shall be so for the next few days. The exhaustion comes before the start of the day. Once in the thick of it you wonder not when it shall stop, but wish that it continues longer …

My association with my EF is similar in content and faith ..

My love to you as ever ..

Amitabh Bachchan