By the afternoon came across the sad news of the demise of Navin Nischol, colleague and fellow artist of a cardiac arrest ! So sudden and so young ! Was driving to Pune with some friends, Dabboo Kapoor, for Holi and passed away while on the road.

Was my leading man in ‘Parwana’ where I played the villian. Was with me in ‘Desh Premee’. Soft spoken gentle person. His brother Praveen just met me in Bhopal. He was co producer in ‘Sarkaar Raj’. Navin’s daughter, Natasha was a prominent member of the make up crew that worked on Paa and my complicated make up ! Prayers and condolences is all that is left for us in the end !!

Its Holi tomorrow ! The festival of the coming of the summer. Of burning up the impurities of the year by symbolically lighting a fire tonight, the Holika, with a prayer and abuse for the demon in the mythological rendering of the moment. Collecting all the waste wood in and around the house and building that bonfire by the evening to set to flame, with traditional puja, the application of the gulal on the forehead, the special sweet meat, Gujiya to devour and a general sense of camaraderie and well being !

The days of its boisterous celebrations have long been forgotten, but the spirit still lives and hopefully when the atmosphere around us all is one of relief and good will then maybe we shall bring back those moments of celebration and music and dance and thandai and of course the songs from the folk music of UP. It has been many years since we did a celebration of Holi in the house ; deaths in the family and sensitive situations have kept us away. But hopefully in the coming years an improved situation shall give us the impetus to relive those glorious moments.

The results of the look test for ‘Bbuddah’ came by and soon there will be a release of pictures for you to judge and react. For the moment I can only say that I do hope it excites your expectations. It is a genre of film that I return to after ages and Puri Jagganath who directs, should be given credit in devising something like this for me. Now to get on to the floor and mingle with a fresh idea and cast of players.

Some of the dry colored powder or gulal that shall be used extensively tomorrow, has already found its way into the house. The burning of the Holika in the evening involves a throwing of gulal on to the fire and then for its gentle application on the foreheads of all. Some of it was also prominently plastered onto Shanouk, much to his bewilderment. He now looks like a colored version of what once was a Piranna Dane, with the silkiest brown skin on his back. Extensive activity in the house is something of great distraction to him. He will huff and puff his large frame on to the sofa where the rest are seated, snuggle his face first through the soft cushions and then finally with a grunt and groan settle down head and feet hanging beyond the edge, much out of his control. Until .. with the slightest hint of an intrusion within or without the house, shall get him up and charging like a rocket. Meals or eats off the dining table are not permitted but he shall never give up trying. Even as he stands relaxed by the dining table his snout is already dipping into the lay outs of food and he shall wonder why his determined endeavors to get even that little scrap of eating, refuses to come his way. His pleadings are not too obvious, for, I have now observed he has large doses of arrogance in him, and though he may be salivating way past his massive drooped jaws, he knows it is not going to affect the members seated around the dining area. His attempts never to give up. Moving from chair to chair trying his luck with the others seated, he shall eventually show disdain and trundle off to another sofa not too distant and try to draw our attention by his groans depicting hurt feelings. Such an artist, he.

It will be rowdy and crowded and wet and colorful on the streets tomorrow … so till then … good night !!

Amitabh Bachchan