Amitabh Bachchan's Official Blog

DAY 1576

Jalsa , Mumbai Aug 11/12 , 2012 Sat/Sun 1 : 09

Siddharth, Nitish, Santosh, Divya Solgama, Dharmesh Patel, ND Pattil, Jaishree, Alok Srivastava, Jay and Barun … and Reshmi Philip, Prince Marthanda Varma, Basanth, Vishnu, Nandita Kao ..

Thank you for visiting my humble abode and for all the enthusiasm and love and … all those wonderful gifts and cards and notes for members of my family … what a delight for me and all those that learn about it !

I had promised that I would turn in early, but the draw of the Olympics has been irresistible. There have been some incredible events - Mo Farah in the 10,000 meters, our own Yogeshwar Dutt winning a medal in wrestling, having fought three bouts within an hour or so and coming out victorious, and .. as I write the 4x100 meters relay final …. which just got over and Usain Bolt and Jamaica have done it again, just like that, with a new world record to boot … simply out of this world !!

I notice too the presence and dominance of athletes that have their original roots from the continent of Africa - representing different countries in the western world, but their roots African. And surprisingly though, no one of African roots, excelling in any of the water sports ! This has been noticed and true for the ladies as well !

Did I not read somewhere that the human originated from Africa !

The time has passed on to the next hour of a another day, a day that signifies the 12th of August, my Mother’s birthday. What can one say that has not already been written and spoken about with regard to her presence in my life. Tomorrow or should I say today later, we shall all remember her in prayer and thought. A remarkable lady of exceptional will and quality - as all Mothers are - of great fortitude and inner strength, who brought us up despite her reserved means and taught us to fight and to fight alone when oppressed. The early years of our lives filled with her continuous teachings from the Guru Granth Saheb, she being a Sikh from a most illustrious family, singing the verses at every given opportunity, talking of her days with her Father and my Grandfather Khazan Singh Suri a Bar-at-law in those years before the turn of the 1900’s, a revenue minister in the erstwhile state of Patiala, and my Granmother, a Sodhi whose family were the Prabandhaks of the Anandpur Sahib Gurudwara one of the most important temples of worship through the ages. My association with her two elder sisters, my Aunts Milap maasi ji and Gobind maasi ji and my brother and sister cousins from them, who remain connected with me from Chandigarh and Lucknow and in England.

All those flashes of times spent with my Mother and all my relatives, the stories and the moments of the past. Of times spent with them in Ludhiana and Sirsa in harsh conditions soon after Partition and the love and affection they continue to show to this day. Family is family, extended or not !

I shall keep it short tonight. Its been quite a day - what with the affection and love of the Ef pouring in. And we shall keep more of it for the morrow ..

Love and more ..

Amitabh Bachchan