July 2008
42 posts
DAY 99
New York, NY July 31, 2008 11:30 am/11:45 pm
A moment of silence for the loss and the aggrieved in the bombings in Bengalaru and Ahmedabad
A lethargy sets in. A desire to do nothing. Just be the way we are. Finish the essentials and then just remain. No interest in stepping out, no interest in wearing anything special, or in eating anything beyond the usual. Just be....
DAY 98 (i)
New York, NYC July 30, 2008 12:30 pm
Some more photos for your pleasure. Madhuri is being processed and shall be with you shortly.
Love
Amitabh Bachchan
DAY 98
New York, NYC July 30, 2008 11:45 am
I plan to step out of the room in a short while. Seems incongruous does it not, to be in this great city and not move out of your room ! But i shall venture out to the gym across the street to see how my body fares. It will be the first after I came out from India, which is horrendous. Illness kept me away. Time to get the body in...
DAY 97
New York, NY July 29, 2008 8:30 pm
Dearest All,
Drenched with the reactions of the San Francisco show and completely overwhelmed by the affection of the audience in the Bay Area, I have traveled on the ‘Red Eye’ to New York before we perform in Houston, for a little rest and recuperation.
It has been tough to ascertain which one turned out the best. But as of now I think the scales tilt...
Day 95 (i)
We did it again.!! San Francisco you were amazing.. I never expected this.. But you guys did it.. Thank you. Another fantastic night..
DAY 96
San Francisco, USA Freemont July 28, 2008 7:25 pm
Just back from press conference at Hotel in San Francisco after last nights show here and it has been unique.
It is rare for the media to spend half an hour praising the principals they are about to grind before a meet, but that is exactly what happened. They had not seen anything like this in the last 20 years ! Wow !
By...
Day 94 (i)
Unbelievable.!! Just too fantastic.. What an audience!! And what a show.. Los angeles !! You guys are simply great.. Packed to the rafters.. Love you. .
DAY 95
Los Angeles, USA somewhere on the way to airport, July 27, 2008 9:40 am
LOS ANGELES !! LOS ANGELES !! LOS OF ANGELES !!
What an audience ! What a show ! What response ! Simply incredible !
It has been the best ever for me. And all the credit goes to the the utterly fantastic fans and audience at the LA Sports Arena, that packed the venue...
DAY 94
Los Angeles, USA July 26, 2008 8:45 am
An intermittent clutter on the banana tree to the right of my room window, wakes me up. A brown fuzzy tailed squirrel, precariously poised on the delicate branch of the fruit tree, moves gingerly towards an exotic looking flower that has bloomed near by. Conscious and swift in observing any unwanted movement, it reacts to the raising of my...
Day 93 (i)
In bed.. After posting blog.. Resting and hoping i will be fine tomorrow for the show..
DAY 93
A Hotel, the name of which appears in some Mumbai papers, Los Angeles, USA
July 25, 2008 7:50 am
So many get well wishes so many prayers so many cure ideas…so many responses !!
I am overwhelmed and grateful. Thank you for everything that you do for me. I can never sufficiently pay back this debt to you. Have not been able to since my accident in 1982 and the prayers that went...
Day 91 (i)
Miserable.. In bed.. Down with cold and fever.. Medication on. . Desperate to be well before concert.. Damn.
DAY 92
Same Hotel, in Hollywood, in Los Angeles and in the US of A. July 24, 2008 8:06 am
I now have developed a fever !! And an inflamed chest !! And.. have successfully managed all attention towards me. The wife, the children, the staff, the production and the concerned bloggers !! And each one have their own home grown remedy for my ailment. I have often...
DAY 91
Los Angeles, a Hotel in Hollywood, USA July 23, 2008 7:45 am
A cold ! A beastly cold and an inflamed throat now engulfs me ! Oh ! The horrors of the human body !
So a quick word with the family doctor in Mumbai and the medication has begun and hopefully there shall be sufficient repair not before long.
The weather is salubrious....
DAY 90
Los Angeles, USA a Hotel, July 22, 2008 11:08 am
A long and tiring flight from Port of Spain, Trinidad, a hurried connection at Miami and then into Los Angeles past midnight. Surprised to see fans at the airport even this late hour, we get in after a longish drive to the Hotel and the comfort of home cooked Indian food, considerately and lovingly prepared...
DAY 89
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain, Trinidad July 21, 2008 9:45 am
What a blast ! Trinidad !
Over 25,000 in packed stadium. And the media informs me that around 1000 people flew in from neighboring country, Surinam in special charters to see the show.
The performances were more efficient I felt. Guess the initial jitters were gone after Toronto. It was...
DAY 88
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago July 20, 2008 11:15 am
Yippeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!
Trinidad ! Port of Spain !
And brilliant news !! Half my bags gone again ! And no its not British Airways this time. It is Air Canada !
Dear Vishnu, from Air Canada. You, with large body and smile. You, with great sense of hospitality and...
DAY 87
Toronto Hilton, Toronto, Canada July 19, 2008 9:15 am
THANK YOU TORONTO !!
What a show. Incredible, non stop adrenalin !! And the Torontonians, got it right this time, were just unbelievable. They spurred us on and item after item just went like a bomb. This show is packaged so well that all credit should go to the managers for putting in a fantastic presentation....
DAY 77
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 9/10, 2008 12:56 am
My visit to an MRI center took unusually long and the blog suffered.
Nothing serious. It was a routine check that I undergo every three months. Now with the Tour we needed to update condition.
Below an interview with an old media friend of mine, from Movie magazine.
Enjoy
Subject: questionnaire from Bharathi Pradhan
...
DAY 86
Toronto, same Hotel July 18, 2008 9:30 am
THE BAGS ARE BACK !!
Broken open, stuff missing but back.
I am amazed at the speed with which modern communication operates. A short and insignificant mention to my readers of my condition regarding the bag loss became an issue with national media !
Inundated with media requests for details and phone ins from the...
DAY 85
Toronto, Canada a Hotel July 17, 2008 7:40 am
Jet lag, the brilliant lights of the Toronto skyline, the anxiety of the Concert and the fear of never ever recovering my bags has woken me up a number of times during the night. Following the old adage of converting a negative situation into one that is positive, pushes me out of bed and I head straight for the computer to...
DAY 84(i)
Toronto, July 16, 2008 10:15 pm
The above article came out in the Mumbai Mirror of 15th July, came to me by fax, as does all relevant cuttings, wherever I travel and has caught my fancy. I share it with you.
A spate of print articles seem to be becoming vocal on the declining standards of the electronic media. Is this genuine concern or designed game play to exhibit...
DAY 84
On boardBA 99London – TorontoJuly 16, 20087 pm London Time
Half way over the Atlantic Ocean. To my right Greenland, some distance.
Jaya, Abhishek and Aishwarya came in to London from Mumbai early in the morning and joined me at the Hotel in town, rested, ate, showered and are with me now as we head towards Toronto and the opening performance for the Concert Tour.
Much before 1981, Lataji...
DAY 83
LondonJuly 15, 20086:30 pm
While I rest and ruminate on all the other concerts that came my way during the years, I thought of responding on some of the comments that I picked up from the readers –
BABA –
You reacted on the poem of my father ‘Bharat ke Saanp’ by stating a question whether opportunist, characterless politicians were bigger threats to the country than terrorists ?
I do...
DAY 82
On board BA 198Mumbai-Londondep 1:15 pmarr5:36 pm London time
July 14, 20083:15 pm Indian time
The route map on the mini screen shows us to be flying some where above Afghanistan. The cabin is virtually empty. Just two other passengers. I have had a sparse lunch. The films on the entertainment channels do not seem to interest me. I dozed off for a while. Nothing special happened...
DAY 81
fAshishSharma “SaaraAakash”
RajivSrivastava Kyabhoolukyayaadkaroo.
RanjanKumar “RECOVERY”
mauliktrivedi “AAMAVASSEPURNIMATAK”
Sagar “Tumbinjayunkahan”isperfect……..
Aditi(Bglore)
1.Kshitij 2.AaakhriPanna
3.Kashish 4.GehraZakhm
5.SooniYaadein
6.BeeteHuePal
7.TheMirage
8.HopeofLove
Fathiya “Redemption”
sudhirgupta “MUSAFIR”
NishanPattnaik...
DAY 80
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 12/13, 2008 12:43 am
There has been a paucity of time. Early morning was spent at the Hospital doing stress and other tests, somewhat of a routine activity. Then went off to set of ‘Aladin’ and finished the film. Yes, today was the last day for the shoot of the film. And every time this happens, its an emotional moment for the cast and crew....
DAY 79
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 11, 2008 11:33 pm
Rajdeep Sardesai, owner, senior columnist and anchor, driving force behind CNN/IBN, writes an article in Hindustan Times, of this morning on Amar Singhji.
I post it above for your reading. I read it twice. Marked it and stored it. Sent an sms to the author and complimented him. He thanked me. Now and then we exchange...
DAY 78
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 10/11, 2008 1:21 am
I had said in my MoBlog a few days ago that I was wanting your involvement in something that I was going to talk about and seek your help for. Well, it is here now.
I have posted as you can see a photograph from one of my upcoming films, which I have been shooting for a while. I had during my early Blog days sent you some...
DAY 76 (i)
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 9, 2008 2:06 am
VISHAL TOSHNIWAL writes again to say he still believes I over reacted on the nurse, lying in abject poverty, matter. And he now informs me that his girlfriend is nurse Julie’s daughter !! Her name is Susan !!
Well, you have coerced me to give you details from my side as well.
On the 5th of June 2008, a sum of Rs 2 lakhs was...
DAY 76
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 8, 2008 11:56 pm
The television in my van is on as I reach the studios and there is heightened excitement in the news reports coming through every channel. Anchors heatedly talk of the withdrawal of support by the Left from the Congress, of the fresh alliances taking place, of the instability of the party in power, of whether the...
DAY 75
Mukesh Mills, Mumbai, 2:59pm / 8:16pm
Location for tentatively titled ‘Shoebite’
Mukesh Mills ! Once a flourishing textile mill, right in the heart of Colaba, strategically positioned on the bank of the sea, now shut for endless years in dispute, withered, barren, dilapidated, but an exciting location for filming !
What once housed intricate textile technology, now the backdrop of...
DAY 74
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 6, 2008 2:45 pm
I am coming back to you to respond to MR VISHAL TOSHNIWAL -
He writes that I ONLY comment in my blog on newspaper cuttings, gossip and media and do NOT have interest in other social matters of concern. In particular a nurse in Bangalore who took care of me during my episode in 1982, needing funds for medical care.
Vishal your words...
DAY 73(i)
Vet Hospital, Parel, MUmbai July 5, 2008 11:33 pm
A comment from SHARANYA caught my attention as I read through the responses.
He questions why the film ‘Guru’ never got the accolades it deserves and why it never got any recognition in the several Awards that went by.
Very simple. The people who vote for its recognition did not extend their vote to...
DAY 73
A vet Hospital somewhere in Parel, Mumbai July 5, 2008 8:00 pm
I found today’s Hindustan Times article above, a very fair and unbiased attempt at putting across a topic and perspective, which would otherwise have remained perhaps hidden.
Artists often express opinions on the media and on many an occasion they remain just that, an opinion. The public at large seldom gets...
DAY 72
Khoja Bungalow, Versova, Mumbai July 4, 2008 12:41 pm
Before I get into large beard and hair and mustache and before I become non communicable and before I become the most irritating human alive – an interview I did yesterday -
Subject: Fw: Questions for Mr. Bachchan
Date: Friday, July 4, 2008 11:58
From: Harshita Kohli
Dear Sir,
Just wanted to...
DAY 71(i)
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 4, 2008 2:16am
Dearest All,
For long there had been requests that I write in Hindi too. Today I post a few words of welcome and gratitude to readers in my own hand since the method of putting computer to Devnagri is still unknown to me. Or I should say I do know of it but am still not proficient enough to be able to type it out.
It has got...
DAY 71
Film City, Mumbai. July 3, 2008. 8:09 pm
The above came out in the DNA, Newspaper, Mumbai.
Its getting contagious !
Would love to read your comments on this. Some of your comments on the earlier press cuttings were very perceptive. Maybe we should initiate a discussion on this later some time. I also found an interesting article on inflation, but since my knowledge of finance and...
DAY 70
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 2/3, 2008 12:15 am
A lethargic day !
Perhaps there has been too much sleep. Or let us just say more than what I usually get !
Tentatively titled ‘Shoebite’ nears to an end of this schedule. Most of it in a hospital and tomorrow on the streets at night.
The drive to the dentist was long and weary. But every time this journey from suburb...
June 2008
34 posts
DAY 69 (ii)
I have not written this article !
But strange that it reflects what I did write some time ago.
There were 2 other articles that came out in the Times Of India. One on the current box office results and the other on the results of the game shows on TV.
I did not put them up even though they were flattering. Many among you have advised silence. I will follow them. But poetic justice is an...
DAY 69(i)
Same location, same city and just a little ahead in time.
The media criticizes itself and mocks at the electronic on its infant behavior. We do live in a practising democracy. In freedom of speech and in respect of its integrity. It is not the first time that comment has been made towards the standards of the electronic. Is it competition, envy or sheer ignorance. Could be all three. But one...
DAY 69
Prateeksha, Mumbai July 1, 2008 11:28 pm
Some issues arose about the above. Mid-Day had published I was getting paid 115 crores for writing the blog. It was obviously untrue. BigAdda took umbrage and sent legal letters to the paper. A clarification followed, which was not to the satisfaction of the server. They explained their point. I wrote to the paper, the editor met...
