Amar Singh starts blogging at Big B's behest

New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has been a regular blogger for more than a year, has now convinced his close friend and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh to follow suit.

"My friend and member of my immediate family, my younger brother Shri Amar Singhji, MP from Uttar Pradesh, on my instigation has started his blog at www.thakuramarsingh.com. Do visit and say what you feel about it..," Amitabh posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com/.

Amitabh, 67, is known to have very close relations with the politician. In fact, the megastar took a two-month break to be with his friend during the time he was in Singapore for medical treatment.

उस पार न जाने क्या होगा / हरिवंशराय बच्चन

उस पार न जाने क्या होगा / हरिवंशराय बच्चन...... 

 

 

इस पार, प्रिये मधु है तुम हो, उस पार न जाने क्या होगा! 
यह चाँद उदित होकर नभ में कुछ ताप मिटाता जीवन का, 
लहरालहरा यह शाखाएँ कुछ शोक भुला देती मन का,
कल मुर्झानेवाली कलियाँ हँसकर कहती हैं मगन रहो, 
बुलबुल तरु की फुनगी पर से संदेश सुनाती यौवन का, 
तुम देकर मदिरा के प्याले मेरा मन बहला देती हो, 
उस पार मुझे बहलाने का उपचार न जाने क्या होगा! 
इस पार, प्रिये मधु है तुम हो, उस पार न जाने क्या होगा!

 जग में रस की नदियाँ बहती, रसना दो बूंदें पाती है,

जीवन की झिलमिलसी झाँकी नयनों के आगे आती है,

स्वरतालमयी वीणा बजती, मिलती है बस झंकार मुझे,

मेरे सुमनों की गंध कहीं यह वायु उड़ा ले जाती है; 

ऐसा सुनता, उस पार, प्रिये, ये साधन भी छिन जाएँगे;

तब मानव की चेतनता का आधार न जाने क्या होगा!

इस पार, प्रिये मधु है तुम हो, उस पार न जाने क्या होगा!

 

उतरे इन आखों के आगे जो हार चमेली ने पहने, 
वह छीन रहा, देखो, माली, सुकुमार लताओं के गहने, 
दो दिन में खींची जाएगी ऊषा की साड़ी सिन्दूरी, 
पट इन्द्रधनुष का सतरंगा पाएगा कितने दिन रहने; 
जब मूर्तिमती सत्ताओं की शोभा-सुषमा लुट जाएगी, 
तब कवि के कल्पित स्वप्नों का श्रृंगार न जाने क्या होगा! 
इस पार, प्रिये मधु है तुम हो, उस पार न जाने क्या होगा!

 दृग देख जहाँ तक पाते हैं, तम का सागर लहराता है, 

फिर भी उस पार खड़ा कोई हम सब को खींच बुलाता है; 

मैं आज चला तुम आओगी कल, परसों सब संगीसाथी, 

दुनिया रोती-धोती रहती, जिसको जाना है, जाता है; 

मेरा तो होता मन डगडग, तट पर ही के हलकोरों से! 

जब मैं एकाकी पहुँचूँगा मँझधार, न जाने क्या होगा!

इस पार, प्रिये मधु है तुम हो, उस पार न जाने क्या होगा!

Big B

Aishwarya Big B Shah Rukh director Karan Johar annual police show in Mumbai

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, actor Amitabh Bachchan , actor Shah Rukh Khan and director Karan Johar pose at the annual police show in Mumbai

Response to Auro is miraculous: Amitabh Bachchan Interview

Response to Auro is miraculous: Amitabh Bachchan (Interview)  
By Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, Dec 19 (IANS) The poignant story of 13-year-old Auro who suffers from progeria in "Paa" has touched many hearts and megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he never expected people to so "warmly embrace" his premature ageing character.

"No, I never ever imagined that Auro would be picked up, caressed and so warmly embraced. It is miraculous. A description of the reactions would be odious at this moment. I do have them all stored and shall be happy to share them with you at an opportune moment," Bachchan told IANS in an interview.

Made at a budget of about Rs.15 crore, the film by R.Balakrishnan not only got favourable reviews from critics but is also doing well at the box office. Amitabh, whose AB Corp Ltd produced the film, says the company has however no plans to make another film in the near future.

"At the moment we have not concretised any further project under our banner, but if we were to, we would keep you informed," he said.

The film stars Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan as Amitabh's parents.

Excerpts from the interview to IANS:

Q: Auro has become a bigger star than Amitabh Bachchan?

A: Ha ha. There is genuine love being expressed towards him and several have unabashedly desired to take him home.

Q: Did you expect Auro to have such a far-reaching impact on the nation's psyche? What are some of the most memorable reactions you've had to Auro's character?

A: No, I never ever imagined that Auro would be picked up, caressed and so warmly embraced. It is miraculous. A description of the reactions would be odious at this moment. I do have them all stored and shall be happy to share them with you at an opportune moment.

Q: There's a feeling of dismay when Auro dies at the end of "Paa" because people want more of this metaphor of the life-force. How do you plan to take Auro forward?

A: Yes, people want more of Auro, but I think Balki (Balakrishnan) felt his presence was sufficiently enough. How he goes forward is for Balki to decide.

Q: You abhor even a false beard. How did you bear with such elaborate prosthetics day after day?

A: I bore it with great resolve and fortitude.

Q: So complete is your self-effacement in Auro's make-up that some people felt that's not you, but another actor doing Auro. How do you react to that?

A: I take that as my greatest compliment and a triumph for the team that worked on my make-up. Without them and their contribution Auro would have remained on the drawing board.

Q: The surprises from your repertoire continue to spill out year after year. Auro, you'll agree, is a very hard act to follow. What will you do now to satiate your expectant fans?

A: I shall continue to work to my best. Satiation is most subjective. I do not work with the consideration of those elements in mind. My fans understand that better than anyone else. Even me.

Q: "Paa" marks the renewal of AB Corp Ltd's production output. What are the other films that ABCL plans to produce?

A: Please do not keep up this undesired exclamation of the 'renewal' of the company. We were always there and functioning. May be you did not follow its activities. Or perhaps there was not much desire in you to do so. At the moment we have not concretised any further project under our banner, but if we were to, we would keep you informed.

Q: As an actor you seem to have reached an unprecedented zenith of self-expression. What is that one role you would still like to play?

A: I have no idea what it would be...all I know is that were someone to come up with a thought, I would most certainly want to give it a try. I do hope that there are directors there who will dream up exciting work for me. If they do I shall be more than willing to work along with them.

Auro aka Big B aka Amitabh Bachchan made a special appearance to meet fans

Auro’ aka Big B aka Amitabh Bachchan made a special appearance to meet fans who had participated in IDEA Cellular’s consumer engagement activity ‘Talk to Auro’ in Mumbai

Amitabh Aishwarya Rai Abhishek Bachchan premiere of James Cameron's movie Avatar

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan at the premiere of James Cameron's movie Avatar in Mumbai on Tuesday night.

Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan at the premiere of James Cameron's movie Avatar in Mumbai on Tuesday night.

Amitabh Bachchan receives lifetime achievement DIFF in Dubai

Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan arrives at the opening of the 6th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in Dubai.

Amitabh Bachchan (R) receives a lifetime achievement award from Sheikh Majed, the son of the Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, during the opening ceremony of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in Dubai

Amitabh Bachchan 8Th Third Eye Asian Culture Award 2009

Asian Film Foundation felicitates bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan with the the Asian Film Culture Award at Fun Republic at Andheri in Mumbai .

Is Amitabh overloading on work?

Mumbai, Dec 9 (IANS) Superstar Amitabh Bachchan's workaholism is well known. Little wonder that he dozed off at a felicitation ceremony in Chennai.

Amitabh was at Satyam cinema where he was honoured by the film federations of Chennai. Extreme exhaustion caught up with the 67-year-old veteran when he fell asleep before the ceremony Saturday and woke up thoroughly disoriented, not knowing where he was.

Director Balki who was with the Big B, says: "He was fine. He finally had some sleep. You've to understand that this is no ordinary human being. Amitji is a miracle. He can continue working non-stop without sleep."

At the end of the evening, the Big B had 24 shawls to bring back - though he had gone with only a day's baggage. When asked what he would do with the massive haul of 24 shawls, the Big B replied: "I'll give them away to the needy."

But the shawls were the least of his burdens in Chennai.

Says Balki: "Last week, he was running around getting the ('Paa') premiere in place. Then on Friday morning, he left to shoot for 'Bigg Boss' without any sleep after the premiere. After shooting the entire day in Lonavala, he attended the Bombay Times party and then on Saturday early morning he left for Chennai. At an age when a lot of us will be in a rocking chair he is still rocking."

But those close to Amitabh feel he is again overdoing his work schedule and needs to slow down.

Says a person close to him: "Even after two major health scares recently, Amitji has refused to slacken his pace. Except for the break he took to be with Amar Singh in Singapore earlier this year, he has been working round the clock."

HOW AMITABH BACHCHAN BECAME AURO

The most Herculean task about the latest release PAA was transforming a 67-year old Amitabh Bachchan into 13-year old child Auro, suffering from a rare disorder called progeria. So come let's take a short run-through over how Amitabh became Auro. Now you can see what's hidden The prosthetic makeup, as we know, has been done by Hollywood's Christien Tinsley (THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, CATWOMAN) and Dominie Till (THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY). According to the reports Bachchan's make-up cost 10 per cent of the total budget. It is learnt that it used to take four to five hours daily for Amitabh Bachchan's makeup to be done for his film PAA. Not only this, if it used to take four hours to put on the make-up then two hours to remove it. There are eight different layers of clay which has been put in his make up in the film. While applying the make up he cannot eat, drink and talk for four hours. Most of the performance comes out because of the make up. Big B wore specially designed dentures so as to effortlessly replicate the voice of a 13-year old child. He gets a lisp and his speech pattern gets altered because of the extra teeth. He wore the dentures throughout the film's shooting and also had them on while dubbing. Infact he has also sung a song in his voice wearing these dentures, which sounds like a child. But Big B never ever showed a sign of panic, on the contrary he was always co-operative, patient, cool and full of enthusiasm.

Big B with wife Jaya Bachchan at the launch of the book Madhushala

Bollywood super star Amitabh Bachchan with wife Jaya Bachchan at the launch of the book 'Madhushala' on the occation of 102nd birth anniversary of his father Harivansh Rai Bachan.