Amitabh Bachchan's Official Blog

DAY 1548(i)

Khem Villas, Sawai Madhopur, Ranthambore Reserve, Rajasthan

July 14, 2012 Sat 10:51 PM

NDTv has taken over this entire hotel facility for their campaign ‘Save our Tigers’ and it is a sight you will never forget. It is complete madness !! The complexities of broadcast television, the urgency of timings and feeds and cuts and fade ins. The screaming and shouting of the time left, the co ordination with Delhi studios and the anchor on sight here. The pre show shoot and the introduction to the different clips, the adverts that go out … an endless operation of such magnitude, it will be difficult to understand what the heck is happening inside just one of their control rooms. Multiple switches of different hues and colors, blinking and to be pressed, rods and levers to be pushed to fade in the next program, instructions being shouted out at the speed of knots, an entire wall full of plasma, and all this for one program that shall air live tomorrow at 9AM till the 9PM of the day !!

But remarkably, what needs to be paid attention to is that it is being managed and operated by women – 90% of them !! And … I am told when the station started, the average age of those in command was 25 years !

This is modern India. This is women power. This is awesome !!

Those working in there were all the age of my daughter Shweta and less, coming close on to the age of my grand children.

It has been not just a great experience for me, but a moment of immense pride ! May they prosper ever and continue to assert themselves in the years to come. The time is not too far away when women shall rule the world, taking over from the men, if they have not already !

Allow me to show you what I mean –

the arrival welcome .. garlands flowers over the ‘Great Gatsby’ ..

being my own photographer … wide angle, into the woods ..

And … all the astonishing ladies, correcting, teaching, applauding after I pressed the right button .. ahh ! what a relief i got it right !!

Is it not a sight of great delight !

So now the brain tires as must it should. The strain of travel and limited sleeping hours. The delight at having met those that have worked tirelessly in the preservation of the Tiger – villagers that have voluntarily agreed for a re location to give the big cat more space. The RRU’s or Rapid Response Units that spring into action when ever there is an emergency of either a poaching incident, or man animal confrontation. These units that have through our campaign been financed by what we collected the last time, are the culmination of a concerted effort made by some very committed individuals !!

Love to all … get some rest and be happy within …

Amitabh Bachchan