He had been unwell and I had just met him some days back when he was here on a short visit. And even though he was ailing, he never lost the opportunity of wanting to do something novel, exciting and different. Always positive and full of confidence under any circumstances, his very presence would lighten up the air around and fill you up with an energy that was unexplainable.

I met him first in the late 70’s on a private visit to Los Angeles, where he lived. One of Prakash Mehra’s films was on release, I cannot remember which. Those days the overseas market was not as exciting as it is now, and neither was the presence of films and stars. But through some contacts with Prakash Mehra, Kirit had requested if he could bring me along to a cinema theatre where they used to show Hindi films over the week end in most limited capacity.

I was on a private visit, Prakash Mehra asked me to take a half hour out for this trip to the theatre and I agreed. I got the essence of what Hindi cinema meant to the NRI audiences on that visit. It was simply unbelievable. Chaos ruled. The audience went wild, pulling clothing, hair particles anything of mine they could get their hands on. There was no security or the police to manage. Stuck in this wild show of affection and unable to see any hope of extricating myself from it, came a shrill voice of help. A short chubby little man was pulling my arm and dragging me to the exit, yelling the most colorful expletives in Gujarati and succeeding. Out in the open air, there was still no respite. I found myself pushed into a white car - later to discover it was a Rolls Royce - and this short guy diving into the drivers seat and literally taking off ! It was mayhem ! The crowd got into their vehicles and a chase began.

I have never been driven on two wheels of a white Rolls Royce taking sharp turns .. on the wrong side of a Los Angeles highway !! I cannot remember how I got to my Hotel, but we did and in one piece, and when I got off at the porch of the Hotel, my ’savior’ introduced himself to me .. I am Kirit Trivedi .. followed by some more expletives in Gujarati …!!

We never looked back from that day on - Kirit and I. He became family. He always addressed me as Da, a short for Dada, elder brother and respectfully addressed Jaya as Mama, as in Mother.

It was Kirit that felt the potential of projecting me on stage for stage shows. He pioneered those very first ones way back in 1981 and from then on followed an entire new experience and new ventures. Never one to get strapped down to undoable events, it was his entrepreneurial vision that brought scale dimension and the largeness of stage performances, years before any other could have even thought of it.

It was his ambitious zeal that got me on to Madison Square Gardens in New York, when the management there had rejected him for months, sarcastically taunting him that the venue was fit only for John F Kennedy, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Mohammed Ali - past performers at this prestigious stadium. But Kirit was Kirit. He just did not admit defeat and finally won. A 12, 000 seater stadium was sold out a month before my performance and Kirit had filled in another 12, 000. On the floor, in the aisles, in the dressing areas … everywhere he sold tickets.

The management, a very austere body of serious looking entertainment giants, was in shock. When asked how he had pulled all this off, by me .. after a few more expletives he cooly replied “promised them a Sony Tv”.

More issues followed during that performance. Knowing the nature of the crowd reactions, he asked the management to get sufficient police protection. They, in usual ‘know it all, done it all’ fashion paid little heed to Kirit’s request and said ‘We’ve had the biggest stars and Presidents here. A couple of cops is all you will require !”.

I am pretty certain Kirit must have subdued a chuckle here, for when the show began and all hell broke loose, the management had to scramble a sizable brigade and some squad cars in utter urgency. Later when the evening was over, he was paged to the office of the MSG and complimented on his achievement.

Before Kirit walked out of their office the Head turned around to him and in hushed whisper asked :

” Er … what did you say was the name of this Indian actor ??? !!”

Kirit was unstoppable. He kept upping the ante every year. Giants Stadium, New Jersey 60,000 people packed in for my show. The most prestigious theaters all over the world were on his map and event after event he kept getting them and succeeding in making history. The West Indies, the Wembley Stadium, London, South Africa’s largest and most honored football stadium just prior to the abolishment of apartheid, and every possible venue were his domain and his inspiration to do bigger and better. Elephants, horses, sports cars, bikes on stage with me. Stage floor opening up and bringing in the largest stretch limousine on top for me to escape from the crowds after the show was over were all his inventions and ideas. Dressing me up and bringing me in close contact with the very best designers in clothing and in every other form that would enhance my image on stage. Introducing me to the best in Hollywood even knowing that I was not interested in doing anything there. The personal care that he took year in and year out will be difficult to replicate. And he had a solution for every problem. Acknowledging his attributes, Barry Marshall that co partnered our Wembley show and himself one of the biggies of the UK in the department, nick named him ‘Mr Fix It !’.

In England for the recording of my first ever album with Bally Sagoo, he would drive me in his left hand car to Birmingham every morning and drive me back late at night to London. I would often tell him it was too strenous for him but he would laugh it off.

‘Don’t worry Da”, he would assure me, “so long as I am there nothing will happen to you”. Dropping me off to my room he would give me his customary hug. His was the warmest hug that I have ever experienced.

Kirit my friend ! Wherever you are, and I know that you are in heaven, thank you for all that you became for me. For being that sincere advisor, that friend in the direst of needs, that companion in the dark days of uncertainty, that firm and steadfast crutch always ready to support my failing woes, to give me that confidence and courage to pursue what you envisioned, to know and believe that certain impossibilities were indeed achievable, but most of all to always be there when I called.

I know that you were most concerned when we last met about the future - the wife, the children and more …

I just want you to know I will be there for them .. just as you were for me !

Amitabh Bachchan