Monday, August 1, 2011

Amitabh Bachchan Flags Off KBC 5 Promotional Van

Been at it from 6 in the morning and have only just returned to turn in before leaving for Bengaluru tomorrow morning for the promotions of Aarakshan early



Jalsa , Mumbai        July  31,  2011             Sun  11 : 50
Been at it from 6 in the morning and have only just returned to turn in before leaving for Bengaluru tomorrow morning for the promotions of ‘Aarakshan’, early …
I sometimes wonder if those that snigger and make snide remarks at celebrities whether they would ever consider just spending a day in the life of , and come out unscathed from the terrors of a complete day in our existence. And I sometimes do feel that if there was to be any pressure of work or occupation, the best person to handle it would be the one that is most busy ..
How we find the time .. how it gets executed … how it never distracts from any other, is by itself an exercise that would require a deep analysis at a psychiatrists. But seriously though, I think in the spirit of determination, there should be a yardstick to gauge the impulses and reactions that the mind goes through during the course of the day. I also feel extremely strongly that there ought to be a meter which could determine the intensity of our work schedules, our preferences of company, the moments of solitude required, or not … and so many other aspects. We would I am sure be a psychiatric’s delight. The couch would never be the same once we were to be on it ..
I feel a bit like that today, attending to multiple chores and still bearing in mind that the ultimate chore is in front of the camera. How ever we transform from one diametrically opposite angle to the other, is still a mystery and more , a question. It must have something to do with a bio organic reaction within our systems, finally resulting in the system taking over….
As I sit to punch in a few words for the Ef, I wonder where this desire to complete what has been programmed for the day, comes from. And I have discovered that it comes from the patience and love of the audiences. Whether inside a hall, a gathering of public dimension or in solitude !
I believe it comes from the desire to maintain discipline and order. To feel ashamed when a timing is given a step motherly treatment. To be determined to follow what has been asked of us to follow. Order was never a command, it was a definite predetermined act. An act to enhance the belief or ritual of some, and perhaps to emulate it for posterity …
Some attitudes one is born with and they remain the longest in our systems. We acquire traits that assist us in benefitting our craft … on how to respect the elders, or how to go about finding the correct regulations that shall make us a better person to live with.
All of this is indeed a most difficult task. Each one wants to live in their own shadow or reflection - makes following easier. But it seldom happens and so ….we drift and wander and look around for help. Most of the time the ones that offer help are in their natural or made up stage of the concert of life and surprisingly they are the ones most effective and strong.
I salute those that comply to this and make effort to fulfill. But the children want to move about. Being confined to one single room or area is dreaded by them. That sense of complete independence urges us to mature and be our own man or woman - anxious to find solutions of this crumbling world about them. May they live and endure and continue to prosper …
I am keen that the joining of hands on such occasions makes a great difference .. its not just a voyeuristic pleasure, but one that we need to do more often …
Love and never expect any more … expectation leads to some of the most unwanted crimes one can think of..
Good night and may the eternal bless you and give you time and position and properity …
Amitabh Bachchan

The face of the new season of KBC 5 cr to be won and win a jackpot sitting at home and answering a question live on the show 1 lakh

Jalsa , Mumbai      July  29 , 2011          Fri  11 : 39 PM




The face of the new season of KBC .. 5 cr to be won and win a jackpot sitting at home and answering a question live on the show .. 1 lakh if your answer was correct from a random selection of contestants, and if you choose to play jack pot, then the correct answer for the next one gets 2 lakhs more .. so 3 in all .. if for some reason you cannot answer the jackpot question, then you even lose what you were winning earlier .. and if that happens then the jackpot does a roll over and the next contestant sitting at home has a chance of getting the jackpot of 3 lakhs !! Pretty interesting na ??
The entire day on tech rehearsals for the show and going through the routines and mock candidates going through the works … tomorrow DDay .. KBC 5 starts ..!!!
‘Koi bhi insaan chota nahin hota’ … no individual is small, they all are big and important and as much value as any other .. this is universal in thought and mind and deed … and KBC endorses that. Given an opportunity anyone big or small can endeavor and dream to be the recipient of a life changing amount of money ..
And along with the KBC  energy comes the film ‘Aarakshan’ on the 12th of August .. and hoping that both do well … prayers and wishes are solicited ..
I am to rest well … for tomorrow starts another chapter another challenge ..
Its short today but filled with only affection and love
Amitabh Bachchan

In bed by 1 am last night and up at 4 am to get the flight to Mumbai

Jalsa , Mumbai                                 July  28 ,  2011                                 Thu  9 : 51 PM


In bed by 1 am last night and up at 4 am to get the flight to Mumbai … reading all the coverage of the visit on the front pages of Kolkata press … appreciating the honesty of the reportage .. the debate at Xaviers and the pertinent points spoken … meeting the Captain and crew inside for picture opportunities .. the Captain informing me that his Nani at 96 and his son at 6 admired my work .. that tender hand shake of the driver of the coach from the aircraft to the terminal .. and finally home to pick up some clothes a bite of breakfast and straight to Film City 16 for KBC rehearsals ..
Have just returned exhausted but energised to meet the family and eventually yes to write to those that cherish and love me unconditionally … my FmXt, thank you for being in my life, for now it seems so improbable to exist without that page of post each day.
The blog gets read in all corners of the world, in all walks of society. And at each step of my public appearance there is never less than a few that quote and refer to it glowingly, media included. There is now never a write up on my news without mention of the blog and its contents. This is an honor and a glorious achievement. I now am privileged to write my own press news each day - for both print and electronic. Criticized and cynically looked upon by all in the early stages, now falling prey to its existence. This is not an achievement to boast about and neither to I revel in talking about it. It is but an acknowledgement of the times and my constant refrain, that the ‘communication and information ogre’ that remains perpetually hungry for content, needs must find avenues for its consistency. And the consistency loaded on to a medium that does not come under any of the journalistic morals or ethics of the state or profession, is not just a threat to the firmly ensconced fourth estate, but indeed is an act that needs to be observed severely and justly before it is used for public formal consumption.
It may have made the job a bit easier for those that lazily remain within closed doors of their media office rooms, but somewhere the usage of material from social net working must be studied before giving it much credibility. Just as there are honest reporters, there are honest social networkers too. Just as there are corrupt reporters, there are corrupt social networkers too. Knowing the importance given to a social networking site, does it not tempt or coerse the probable trouble maker to feed unsubstantiated news to the rightful and formal media, purely on the belief that it shall be picked up and sent into print distribution orbit ?? Merely safe guarding yourself by mentioning sources and absolving yourself of all responsibility, is a weak way out. It needs deeper thought and mature handling. Simply admitting that if we do not do it the others will and keeping in mind competition we are forced to follow routine procedures is not enough. Either cut us out completely, or join in and let us run this together with understanding. Something wise informs me that the probability of the former will most likely happen, rather than the latter, for, the latter would need for the media to divulge their modus operandi - something that they would rather carry to their grave !!
I spent most of the evening ruminating my Talk2Me episode that i comply with each month for one hour - give opportunity to individual callers to speak to me. One such caller today, a Rajinder from Delhi spoke to me at length in clipped English and lusty Hindi, on values and life, on the planets and the supernatural forces affecting us, on the business of life and the futility of death … when it was almost over, I asked him what his profession was. And he answered that he was a auto driver - a three wheeler public transport, driver ! I have been stunned since. Rajinder is obviously not three wheeler auto driver material. There has to be a tale here and I wish I had the time to find that from him. I have requested InsideIndia the company that runs this medium to send me a transcript of this conversation. I wish to share it with you. Truly amazing !!!
And now I as I sip the ‘mishti doi’ gifted to me last night in a most touching and generous manner by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, the sweets from the FmXt being devoured by the family, since I do not eat them, I glance up at the clock and find that my time for immediate rest is running out faster than programmed.
The clouds too have expressed their resentment by displaying a loud thunder and the following rain is I believe an indicator that the strong patter shall act as that soothing sound needed for a good nights sleep …
Good night dear ones …
Amitabh Bachchan
ps : the pics are from Kolkata St Xaviers visit … enthusiasm at its utmost !

Beaten exhausted and losing all sense of bearing KBC does that to us all such a complicated game show, so many different computeristics


Jalsa , Mumbai              30/31, 2011         Sat/Sun   12 : 25 AM
Beaten … exhausted and losing all sense of bearing … KBC does that to us all … such a complicated game show, so many different computeristics .. so many rules and set ups to keep in mind and then to not forget the game itself and its various permutations and computations …
But one interesting candidate and the entire anxiety of the working of the show just flies past .. we had a few today and tomorrow is another day .. let us hope that all goes well .. the second episode towards the evening will have invites to Saif and Deepika .. who come to promote their film and mine as well - ‘Aarakshan’ !!!
In many ways the philosophy of the film and that of KBC is quite similar. Given opportunity, even the lesser privileged shall prosper. Or at least have the capacity to prosper. The previous season showed to us that contestants from small town India, came up in large numbers and did what most metro town inhabitants could not achieve. The power of opportunity, the power of determination if the resources materialize, and the ultimate joy of disproving most others is really the triumph of the common man.
Who would have ever thought that a Muslim lady from a small town, conservative in its outlook, would one day sit on the hot seat and crack the jackpot of a crore of rupees ! But she did, as did many others from humble beginnings. And that really is the marvel. Those without means and facilities, those who have never had opportunity to even think of education, for them to suddenly find themselves in the higher echelons of society, speaks volumes for the democratic nature of our constitution and the adherence thereof. The film ‘Aarakshan’ provides many sides of this issue and many other. And so when we have movie integration with KBC, this point stands out in great favor for the film …
The rains have been incessant.. and so harsh that we had to stop shooting KBC at times, because of the noise factor. But all in all a most satisfying day … harsh and hard, but satisfactory.
My yawns stifled as they were through out most of the day due to lack of sleep have kept me company throughout, and I wonder if I shall be able to sneak in a few hours tonight for tomorrow is a nightmare .. Two episodes to can, and in the second have the great pleasure of hosting Saif Ali Khan and Deepika ..
I must rest my dearest FmXt … and those that need to come to the shoot of KBC, need to coordinate with me so I can arrange all of this …
Love
Amitabh Bachchan