Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, herewith the shoot look for the KBC to start by August 2011, preparations for which start sooner than what I had imagined. This is designed by Rohit Bal, the young celebrity in the world of fashion who has alawys been flamboyant and has had a way with colors.

Rohit … or ‘Gudda’ as his pet name beckons him … a dear friend from the time when he was a little kid, running around in shorts in his house in Srinagar. His parents, my parents, his sisters and us all close family. Had stayed with them in Srinagar during one of our early holiday visits, when I was still working out of Kolkata and since then have seen the growth of this very talented youngster in the field he enjoys most - design ! How times change and how soon they pass .. Such warm and endearing memories of all our visits to the ‘heaven on earth’ Kashmir, but now such a distant dream.

It has been a struggle this entire day. Struggle to keep up with schedules and timings and commitments. But enjoyable all the same. After that rather long mushy piece on work and ethics and energy yesterday, I would imagine there could be no debate or disapproval on the business of work. So there …

We were shooting the promos for KBC at the same house which was used for the shoot of ‘Paa’, the house of Paresh Rawal and Abhishek. Such a delight to find this architectural delight in the middle of high rise concrete jungles all around. And most of it still restored the way it was when it was. Most of these properties are either under litigation or dispute. I cannot say for this particular one, but thank god for the legal constraints. At least nothing happens to the structure until the courts settle. So in a way the architecture is saved from being bought over by some real estate developer and building a massive 40 storied apartment tower ! Ironically, the house is called ‘Camelot’. Indeed !!

The dub for ‘Aarakshan’ started too and a sizable amount of work was done in the few hours devoted to it in the morning. Dubbing has been such an art by itself. It can make or break ones performance. For, what is dubbed is the final performance. This is the version that the audiences see, now pristine in its reproduction as opposed to the sound and feel of the shot when it was enacted in front of the camera. Syncing the emotion the words the feel of the moment, isolated in front of a mike is not an easy task. But do, we must and hope and pray that the original sound is replicated in its entirety. Many a performance has been destroyed by an inaccurate dub. In a sense when we dub, we are in fact enacting two films. When a scene is enacted it is perhaps the only scene for the entire day. There are props and location and co artists and their contribution to the scene. But here now, sitting in front of a screen watching yourself and trying your best to duplicate for the final print is a most daunting task.

Laughter, emotion, tears, crying or weeping are the most difficult to match. It never comes right and I have always felt that a great amount of the real is lost when we dub. There have been times though when the dubbing has been sacrificed because it would harm the scene. I have several examples of my own experience. The temple scene in ‘Deewar’, the death scene of Om Prakash in ‘Sharaabi’ and on … just not dubbed because it would not have been possible for me to replicate it correctly. The sound recordist disagrees, they insist on dubbing to give the right balance and quality of all other sounds. Then they in their expert disposition shall sit and treat the sound, make it conducive to the large screen, add their own technical highlighters and make that moment more attractive.

There are now great exponents of audio technology and finesse who can enhance a scene, a moment, through the guile they posses of the sound system and really make one look good and healthy. Much like what technology is doing to other aspects of our lives. Song recordings too have now been revolutionarised and it is perhaps now become the most visited area by artists because they have all become singers - through the assistance of the system which repairs off key sounds and brings them all in one very magical mode. Yours truly included !!

I am off now because I need to get sufficient rest before the start of another hectic day …

I shall remember you all in my dreams .. provided I get some … and wish and pray that you remain happy and prosperous.

My love for you as ever …

Amitabh Bachchan