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 !