Out of the private jet and on to the Pune International Film Festival ..

And the crowd control inside the auditorium .. this is one way of being effective , I guess !!!

… And the gracious and greatly talented SriRam Lagoo from many films, for me particularly Laawaris, decorates me with the Award for my contribution to cinema, with the traditional head dress of Maharashtra and the shawl … a moment in time !!

the lighting of the traditional lamp before the start of any function – Rani Mukherji, Asha Bhonsale, SriRam Lagoo and Sachin Pilgaonkar ..

… the welcome to the venue amidst mobbing and the traditional Maharashtra horn trumpets ..

There is more … but enough for the day I would assume !

Pune the city of art and literature and culture and all that is classical and ethnic now bears a metro city, with large and grand structures defining the skyline, where before there was nothing but serene drive ways, trees and the odd bungalow, tiled, single floored and peaceful ..

Pune had but one distinction it was the one city in the country or perhaps the world that had the largest fleet of bicycles on the road .. it is there even now, except they have a motor and move rapidly and are often referred to as mobikes !! Pune also had the distinction of having some of the earliest Film Studios in the country. Indeed one of them has been converted into the Pune Film Institute, which has given to the Industry so many talented artists and technicians ..

It used to be a wondrous drive from Mumbai to Pune in those early days .. crossing over by Taloja and the delicious biryani that was on offer at the stalls, when you broke journey … the sudden and steep climb over the ghats and the various places of worship that one passed as one steadily climbed passed them, paying our respects to the Gods for a safe journey through this somewhat treacherous route over the mountains … and then Lonavala, a delightful calm and salubrious climate welcome, more food before the final thrust to Pune.. and then the tunnels and then the city and the Blue Diamond Hotel, perhaps the only one then .. now of course there are a zillion of them … some years later the Osho Ashram of Rajneesh the Bhagwan and the community he had created within for mostly westerners to come and find inner peace and wellness ..

Oh ! One can go on and on with the many experiences of the city .. and as always … more of that on some other day …

It has been a bit tiring .. in on the plane to Pune, straight to the venue, the ceremony and then back to the airport, started up the engines and back to Mumbai …

So I shall beg leave … but there will be more on another occasion ..

Love and more to all ..

Amitabh Bachchan