At final destination among familiar surroundings

Sydney NSW, Australia                Oct  13, 2011               Thu  10 : 10 PM AusTime

At final destination among familiar surroundings .. was here as you all know a few weeks back in August. But now its the real McCoy ! The shoot for ‘The Great Gatsby’ for Baz Luhrmann ! Butterflies as large and as huge as the Transformers monsters in the film that I breezed through on the flight. Apprehensions, as fearful as the raging thunder and lightening storm that broke over the Mumbai skyline just prior to my departure last night – a most sudden and unscheduled occurrence. Rain as strong and fiery as they would be during the peak of  the monsoons !! The Gods are angry as is the Earth for all that we pollute and burden it with !

A few days of preparation before the actual shoot and then on to the floor among stars – Leonardo di Caprio, Tobey Maguire and several others. A stranger among the giants of the International movie world, I feel as though I am starting off all over again. The first most vivid experience of the camera during my screen test, which no one ever saw or approved or discussed. The first time I was propelled into ‘action’ and the sound of the clap and sound running. All seems to be tonight, reminisced with some degree of nostalgia but also the fear of whether it shall all fall into place in front of a set up of which I know nothing at all. An outsider, a foreigner, an unknown !

And that my friends is the beauty of life and this business. The business of making make belief stories in make belief environments. There could never be anything more fascinating than what we encounter each day and hour of our film existence. Glory be !

I have travelled long and far and must now rest my weary bones, even though they have not, but have been moved, thousands of miles through thousands of feet in the air at speeds normally not attainable by mere mortals, to destinations which most of us hear and read about or at best in the early years touched through compasses on large geographical maps.

More of this adventure later in the hours to come … and the experiences of yet another realm in my life !

Good night and God bless …

Amitabh Bachchan