Amitabh Bachchan's Official Blog

DAY 1944

Jalsa, Mumbai Aug 11/12, 2013 Sun/Mon 2 : 44 AM

They come in their hundreds, stay for long hours at the gates and patiently wait for those few minutes when I come out and greet them. They are special. They are special too that belong to the Ef - Siddharth, his brother, Jayshree and others whom I spot in the crowd but cannot meet them… they leave gifts .. I am humbled and honoured … thank you … but you make it very difficult for me to repay you for it ..

It has become a schedule for me … sundays ! I wait for the indication from the security, I dress up for the moment .. a track or a shawl or just some pathanis .. it is fast becoming an issue …

That is the problem with the one billion cameras that abound each time you step out of the house .. magazines now have special sections on what and who was seen where, what they were wearing, from clothes to bags to shoes, to glares … everything is captured and commented upon ..

‘Look, he was wearing the same shoe, or the dress of particular lady was the same with another, why is he wearing this expression, and on and on and on …

So … there is an attempt now, to be conscious of what and how you shall be presenting yourself, each moment of the day … and may I say with utmost humility that the number of changes required, so there is no adverse comment in press, is fast running out … its getting expensive to be seen in public these days ..

Like last night, getting into and coming out of Shahrukh’s house for his Eid party, was as time consuming as the amount of time spent in side with him. The paparazzi just storms the car and blocks the path, making it extremely difficult to move … this is complicated further with a million flash lights that strike your face by the photographers …

Ever tried driving a car with such encumbrances … try it .. and then ask for the results of the pictures … they all come out like we’ve seen an unidentified alien out of space !! Further … the pictures are sold to various magazines and network sites, who on taking one look at the picture, not understanding the circumstances they were taken in, shall carry a by line at the bottom of it when printed in their prestigious media, trying a clever verbology describing the moment without any inkling of what went on when it was being taken ..

But all is not bad continuously .. a private friend’s marriage celebration or an engagement as did happen later this evening was devoid of the rush and clamour of the, camera division … resulting in staid relaxed visuals ..

….. like my 'progress report’ .. Shweta and Abhishek …

… a wedding dressed gentleman ..

….a swinging son Abhishek on the dance floor … and ..

childhood closest buddies Karan and Shweta … Karan looking much the star, after his recent return from Sri Lanka, where he was shooting for Anuraag Kashyap’s, Bombay Velvet, as an actor … if you please … !!