Jalsa , Mumbai Nov 1, 2011 Wed 12:00 midnight
Greetings to all from the sets of KBC .. my love and warmth and more for all …
Yes it is late again and I am desperately trying to complete all that needs to be said for the night before turning in. There is not much, but much enough… really such a word or expression ? Ahgrhh who cares … so long as it is understood by those that need to understand it … you my dearest Ef ..
The entire day and the afternoon has been spent in laughing among ourselves and ROTF on the ridiculous coverage time and attention being given in the electronic media on the birthday of Aishwarya … al of which is completely and entirely made up !!! How the celebrations are on, what gifts we are giving Aishwarya, who the guests are, what they are to be wearing and on… when truth is that nothing of the sort is happening here at home, or any truth in what is being spread about the gifts and the occasion ..
This is sheer desperation – a desire to brush up their screenplay skills, of how to design stories to fill in as it were the hours of time required to be filled in for the channel. Digital facilities have given expanse to no limit of time and usage of film material. It is there by the millions and when over, deleted and started all over again. The still cameras are no less. Invading every possible breach to get something to sell off to the print and the net … and with attitude ! There’s is the loudest noise at functions, they live in the world that the function has been conducted for only them. They shall be right up your nose, block guests from seeing anything and if you dare to move them are the first to raise voice and presence by their authority of importance. It needs a strong will to control them. Not that this is not possible, it is. We conducted our Hanuman Chalisa release with absolute control. They stayed at their designated area and in disciplined manner were able to get what they wanted ..
But … when their desperation goes beyond the boundary of decency, they shall exercise might and behavior. On the day of the ‘godh bharai’, they were pushing sneakily their equipment between the cracks in the doorway to the house to get that desired picture or any picture. When controlled by security, they spat on them. Yes they actually spit on the security. The restraint shown by those affected by this indecency, was exemplary .. else …
I share a long history with them. During the press ban at the time of Emergency, falsely blamed on to me accusingly, they would put all their cameras down as a show of protest. A few weeks later they came and apologized for the error in their behavior. It was more a commercial decision than any other. Not giving the print media, hungry for popular selling pictures, the material they needed, resulted in them losing jobs and not making the kind of money they usually did.
In the end it is all about the commerce, ladies and gentlemen … all …
If you do not sell, no one looks at you twice. No stories are written for you, no directors of merit wish to work with you and the important leading ladies all shy away, because the commerce with the actor recruited for the film does not have a selling value.
Then, when the looking is bright and prosperous, they all flock back, their attitude smelling of an ‘aberration’ which they voice to overcome the guilt of the earlier days. Such marvelous stories to tell in this regard. They will make you cry with disbelief …
And then as you age and become less important in any factor of the film, the distance, the relegation to the last row, the priorities of change, irrelevant almost to the point of rudeness, creeps back in …
I must spend sometime one of these days in reliving those moments .. remind me someone will you please .. fascinating lessons of life enveloped in all that transpires ..
Good night .. and love, in equal proportion to all ..
Amitabh Bachchan
