The most important seat in the world for me these days the one by the window of an aircraft watching the land go by, the skies disturbed by the advent of the monsoon

Jalsa , Mumbai   July 5, 2011     Tue  11:32 PM

The most important seat in the world for me these days … the one by the window of an aircraft .. watching the land go by, the skies disturbed by the advent of the monsoon, the courteous air hostesses and stewards requesting indulgence - towels cold or warm .. something to drink, a juice maybe, breakfast .. something sir ! No nothing .. need to catch up on my sleep. Is it just me or … whenever I start to read a paper on flight, I tend to doze off. The words on the page suddenly begin to out focus, the head starts to droop, hands holding the news print loosen up and the first nod occurs … then back up again and to begin the routine all over … happen to anyone of you ??

After the hectic schedules of the past so many days, the routine is about to start all over again. Interviews and bites and description of the scene in film … just so much curiosity ! But that we must give in to .. or else what is the purpose of even mentioning it .. the blog in all its glory shall remain a silent figure on pedestal, but shall not be removed as was the fear from some quarters .. Mother’s are always so conscious of their children. Our Mother Blog shall also be looked upon passionately, and the assurance given has been that, all else may undergo change, but the blog shall remain steadfast and kind.

Oh dear .. i feel the effect of the plane as I continue to put down everything .. the head is now seriously drooping, the hands involuntarily stop and start … they just did .. ha ha ..

I need to rest .. there has been sleep for just a few hours for the past days .. but I shall be back with more soon ..

Good night and apologies for this short response    I shall improve on this soon …

Amitabh Bachchan

BigB was so overwhelmed with the kind of response his latest release

Amitabh Bachchan was so overwhelmed with the kind of response his latest release, Bbuddha... Hoga Tera Baap, has recieved that he got nostalgic.

40 years ago in Ajmer Shariff to untie the dhaga the scared thread that one ties at the shrine Big B

40 years ago in Ajmer Shariff to untie the ‘dhaga the scared thread that one ties at the shrine BigB

Jaipur , Rajasthan    July 4/5,  2011      Mon/Tue  12: 13 AM

In prayer and in peace … in divinity and the unknown force … in the completion of a promise made 40 years ago .. in Ajmer Shariff to untie the ‘dhaga’ .. the scared thread that one ties at the shrine. I had visited the ‘dargah’ soon after my entry in 1969 made a wish and tied a thread. The belief is that when the wish is fulfilled, you return to the shrine and untie a thread, any thread. It is not possible for you to remember which one you had tied, for there are millions of them. So the custom is that you tie one and open any other as a gesture of completion. I had been wanting to visit the holy place for sometime, but day before suddenly things worked out and here I am.

The Ajmer Shariff has a great history going back almost to the years in the 11th or 12th century. Of a Sufi saint that came here and spread the word of peace and well being. Of the great Moghul King Akbar, having walked barefoot for the blessings for his son and many more such interesting stories. The power of divinity has no end and no explanation, we simply follow and we simply believe. When the call comes we follow and get drawn. It took me 40 years to come back here again. But I am relieved today that I came and was able to fulfill what I had vouched for.

The media and the electronic went along with me. We talked with Star and their valued anchor Deepak Chaurasia. The two and half hour drive along lovely clean and smooth four lane highway, a dream almost, went by without much notice. The entrance is narrow and congested ; most places of worship in India are, and the crowds passionate warm and full of excitement. The home security along with the local police had a tough time controlling the moment, but all went well. The prayer was made, the thread was untied, a fresh one put in again for another future visit and the electronic ran several news programs on it for the rest of the day ! Sometimes the sanctity and peace that one searches at moments like these gets destroyed by the intrusions. But that is and shall always be the case.

Holding the ‘chadar’ that shall be spread on the shrine as an offering …

That is me in the pink scarf around the head … tied by the respected inside the shrine and those that conduct the ceremonies inside ..

 Many wanted to know what the ‘mannat’ was that I had initiated .. I felt that was a bit ambitious of them ! And when they did not get a response they made their own.

‘Its for the grandson that he had asked for !’

That is a big laugh ! 40 years ago I was not even married. Ha ha ! So what ..? I would come here to ask for a grandson even when the thought of finding my partner to produce a son had not entered my mind ??

Some people are so devoid of common sense ! So when that attempt failed they conjectured several other and more … without any meaning of course ..

This entire region is so full of history and design and culture. This region faced all the intrusions and attacks from foreign powers that crossed over to capture and rule, during the early centuries. Steeped as it is with deep traditions, geographically it provided that natural terrain to deter the enemy. All the palaces and forts and monuments that housed those that ruled here before the invasions, still reflect the thought that went into building what they did build and why. It would make a most interesting study.

I return tomorrow back to base and on to the next - ‘Aarakshan’. Preparation for its promotions and publicity is kicking off tomorrow and soon you shall all be getting information on how that goes ..

Some of the messages that keep coming in ask many queries, some put up valid reasoning and argument .. what is the exact purpose of your visit to the shrine and so on ..

During the drive to the sacred location, my tv anchor does agree that sensationalism is defeating the purpose of dignified reportage. The medium of Tv is so strong and impressionable that the necessary care that is required, gets overlooked many a time. Competition prompts one to perform in manner known, so that the other does not get away with an exclusive, resulting in hasty presentations, breaking news and definitive analysis, when in fact the subject may have required more time to find fact and to research. But with over 400 hundred channels in operation and another 1000 applications pending with the authorities, one wonders if there shall ever be any care or time for studied authentication of fact. If the channels are in such numbers the basic truth of operation is who can get what out faster than the other. Or be in a situation where they could say ‘you heard it first on our channel’ ..

Interesting times are ahead ..

Allah ke dar pe der hai andher nahin

Jalsa , Mumbai     July 3, 2011    Sun 11:21 PM

The morning hour of today … 5 am ! A drive for prayer, to Haji Ali, to Siddhivinayak, to Babulnath .. Mumbai looking stupendous .. low dark rain clouds, slight mild rain, a turbulent muddy sea at Worli and Marine Drive, a strong wind that blows across the trees by the shore .. and divinity  !!

Could have never asked for a better start. A day filled with all the EF sending in the reports from various parts of the world for the film, the excitement of reactions from friends and not so friends .. hectic activity among the EF through Fatima and Barun and Ami and Anu and oh 1 so many many more all over doing their best to push and reveal facts .. such a commitment from all .. I have no words to show my gratitude.

And then the radio interviews organized by Anuraag Pandey and Divya … good fun and finally the Sunday crowd … unbelievable. The largest and the most excited I have seen in the last many years .. media with their OB vans outside today covering this event and then congratulating me for the success of the Film. All so heady and humbling … what does one say .. I really have no words of value to express myself … all that I can say is this .. the entire EF is responsible for the success of BHTB .. !!!

I plan to go to Ajmer Sharif tomorrow .. a most respected and important place of prayer .. it carries the belief that if you tie a thread at the mazaar as a ‘mannat’, it comes true. Almost 40 years ago when I was just about to start my work as an actor in this Industry, I had come to Ajmer and the Holy Place and had tied a thread on the filigree work that surrounds the main area .. for long I had wanted to revisit it and untie it, as a fulfillment of that mannat. Tomorrow if all goes well I shall be able to complete it. You untie any thread, for it is difficult to find the one that one ties almost 40 years back, and that is taken as a completion of your wish. If you wish another wish you tie another thread !

Allah ke dar pe der hai andher nahin ..

It shall be a most nostalgic visit. I was an unknown visitor then. I wait to see how it shapes up now tomorrow … more things in life  fraught with undesirability are overcome with prayer than any other .. prayer, that is a dedication and belief in one such superior power that shall when called out to, hopefully deliver … I need that deliverance .. and the prayer .. HIS might and presence has played such an important part of my life, indeed in the lives of many !! May HE give us greater strength and forbearance to face the hurdles that we must overcome, to acknowledge the goodness HE provides and to rest in the comfort of the direction HE recommends …

Love to all ..

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan blog Bigadda shutting down

Amitabh Bachchan blog Bigadda shutting down?

Religious followers of Amitabh Bachchan's blog on Bigadda will now have to look for a new platform to interact with him. At least that is what the reports claim. Bigadda, the social networking and blogging platform from Reliance Entertainment is planning to change into an eCommerce portal. 

In a communication to the users, Bigadda mentioned that none of the user data would be available after July 15. "We value and appreciate your long standing support for Bigadda.com. In the past few months we explored our potential as an eCommerce portal by providing branded products at profitable deals to you and have found immense success. We are reaching newer heights everyday and hence are planning an expansion in the same arena. 

We request you to download all your personal collection of blogs, audio files, video files and images from Bigadda.com as we are scaling down our Social Networking services. Please note that all your old personal data, uploaded on Bigadda.com, shall not be available after July 15 2011.We are unclear whether high traction properties like the Big B's blog would also shut down," mentioned Bigadda. 

If the reports are true then this definitely comes as a bad new for all Mr. Bachchan fans. Be tagged to us to get more updates on the issue.

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Mahi