We do not celebrate again this year. Primarily because of the death of a close relative of our family friend Amar Singh ji, but also we do not feel comfortable in celebrating when our own have lost lives in the Pune blast recently.

My wishes and those of my family remain however with those that do bring in this festival, a festival that fills us with the joy of achievement and change and produce.

Happy Holi !! And may the colors bright and beautiful ever remain with you in celebration. May it bring peace and calm and may it become the turning point for good tidings.

Watching Abhishek on National Bingo Night was a delight, more so because it dedicated the show to Holi and its numerous songs that have played such an important part in our filmology. The two that became eternally popular were ‘Rang Barse’ from the film Sisila and ‘Hori khelen..’ from Baghbaan. Both that I had the good fortune to work in. Both songs that I grew up with, rendered during my growing up years by my Father, the tunes and words being his own and both now recreated and sung by me with the orchestration assist from my dear friend and music director Aadesh Srivastava. All done with that simple and friendly understanding of contributing to the betterment of the film and the product. Never asked for any money on them, never got anything from it and never even held any copyright. Done with love and affection. Now many years later when its popularity and its subsequent usage increases, we look back and wonder how indiscriminate the whole procedure looks now - those that contributed nothing towards its creativity hold maximum benefit and revenue of it ; those that did all the hard work in creating it, singing composing enacting it to make it popular in film, get a smile and a pat on the back and perhaps a credit on the record or CD. Paid for acting in the film yes, but the song and its creation was never considered as separate.

An entire argument and debate and representation has now begun for the rights and royalty to be considered for those that write the songs, that compose it and sing it and contribute greatly in its presence. The Government and the creators are getting into discussion on this and one waits patiently for the final outcome. But would I to dare question this in my favor ? Never ! We are the stars, the exalted positioned, the celebrity. How dare you talk about not getting your due. How dare you talk about your right. You have no right and no standing in the matter, Mr B. You already have so much, why do you want more.

The questions will always be raised against. The question will never be of rational value or of recognition of right. The question will be of irresponsible and undesired argument. In a country heavily laden with ‘have nots’, how dare those that are perceived to ‘have’ , raise a voice. Take what is given, be happy and shut up ! And so we keep quiet.

A new wave of legal heads are slowly emerging that are beginning to draft intricate and exhaustive contracts for us artists, where hopefully all these lacunae shall be addressed. And fortunate are those that shall benefit from this changed scenario. But what of those like me that have gone well past that period, never to visit it again and with remote possibilities of being given the opportunity to create again. Lost to the system, lost to our copyright. Lost for all time to come. International stars of the likes of Elvis and Michael Jackson shall generate more revenues even after their passing away than they would when alive. Irony of life.

Yesterday I read the editorial in the NavBharat Times and am disgusted with the continued reference that the media and particularly the Times Group makes, of the completely erroneous reportage on the circumstances of Aishwarya’s marriage. They continue to repeatedly follow the ridiculous story, that we took her to various temples before she got married, in order to rectify the ‘Mangalik’ nature of her horoscope. This home cooked story has been refuted a million times. I have personally gone to the Times head office and sat with 50 of their editors in their conference room to clear any doubts questions they may have had. From the ‘mangalik’ issue to the laughable matter of us getting her married off to a tree first to ward off the curse, has and had been denied and explained over a 5 hour grilling that I was subjected to and still after so many years have passed the paper continues this false and incorrect tirade. You all are aware how Jug Suraiya, a leading columnist from the paper had written a piece containing similar insinuations and how I had responded to it. Not a word came back from the paper. No rectification, no retraction, no acceptance of the clarification given to their top brass in person, no acknowledgement even to my plea for a clarification. And yet time and again they continue to write falsehood and lies on this matter. This is the Times Group, the leading newspaper of the country, a media outfit that is expected to exercise integrity and moral standing, of ethics of journalism, of justice and fair play and unbiased opinion.

Here is the article from the NavBharat Times -

For those that do not read and understand Hindi, the article is on reel and real images of celebrities and mentions in the marked area how when Amitabh takes his to be daughter in law to Varanasi to difuse the ‘mangalik’ curse, his image that has been developed and made over years, begins to get destroyed within minutes. It further quotes my Father’s works that talks of his non belief in superstitions and how his ‘illustrious’ son disbeliefs in it.

This is just a lot of mindless and witless bilge !!

Abhishek was seeing Aishwarya those days. She happened to be shooting in Delhi when the whole family, that had come to Delhi for a private function, decided to visit Varanasi where Jaya was shooting for a Yash Raj film with Rani Mukherji, Abhishek too playing a small part cameo in it. Aishwarya had not visited the Kashi temple and expressed a desire to come along. We agreed. That was it. A simple temple visit much like several other visits that we make many a time in our lives. But the story cooked up was that there was an ulterior motive. Nothing was checked, no body from either the temple or us was asked to verify the accusation or the story that was being manufactured, nothing. And look where we are now. Years down the line, that completely made up yarn, is being quoted in editorial after editorial, after every required effort made on our part of having given clarification and denial has been registered and accepted.

It is a pitiable state that the institution that prides itself in being the conscience of a nation, stoops repeatedly to the depths of crass, unsubstantiated, gross and asinine journalism.

But away and enough of this …

Jaya’s younger sister’s are over and the threesome indulges in common interests and activity through out the day. Its wonderful to see them sit around and chatter away, play their game of ‘rummy’ watch Bingo and play along while Abhishek and his guest on the show hit the baton for relevant numbers to score off a sheet that they hold, and hope that they could win some money sitting in front of the tv set. Ha ha ..

Balki’s meeting meanwhile goes off well. We discuss a few ideas that he has and they all seem interesting and novel. It is important to get into discussion and debate. So much clarity of thought comes along before taking the plunge. Hopefully something of value shall come about from thus meeting too.

Tomorrow we are together again for most of the day. The Enlightened Society, a organisation that encourages debate and discussion on various films and the artists connected with it, with the masses, will be screening PAA and we shall be up with the viewers on stage to debate the film and react to questions that they may want to raise. I had been a part of this exercise in Berlin once as a viewer. I had gone along with Jaya, who was then with the Children’s Film Society of India, to the Berlin Film Festival, and after the screening of one of the films in the festival, the director and artists appeared on stage and a most healthy reaction session began which was most enlightening. Berlin was even then in those early years, very conscious of Indian films and its stars. There is a huge Turkish community that resides there and I was told of a rather odd incident that took place when I was attending this particular festival. The Turks are very fond of Indian films and on coming to know of my presence, a young lady or a young man had apparently slit his or her stomach with a knife, because she or he had not been permitted to visit the theatre where I was to make an appearance. Sad and certainly something that should be never be used as an example. Frightening !!

Reliance Communications, is also tomorrow celebrating the success of Paa and is hosting a party. They have been associated with several films of late that have done well and they wanted to express their joy. 3 idiots, Avataar, Rock On, and Raavan among the forthcoming, are some of their connected products. Hurray !! A celebration well deserved !!

Good night dearest ones … I have left the giggling sisters to themselves and have taken to bed ..

With love and more …

Amitabh Bachchan