One of the respondents corrected my blog by pointing out that I had mistakenly put the time as AM, when it could have been PM. I have of course changed it. The continued habit of writing the post way after the midnight hour has accustomed the brain to put AM.

As one grows older one notices many such incidents creeping in. The need to go into another room to fetch an object required for work or for use, will indeed take you to the other room, but as you get there you discover that the reason to be there has disappeared from your mind. You may be wearing your spectacles on top of your head for easy access later on, but when the time comes to use it you look for it through hill and dale, until someone pulls it off your head and thrusts it in front of you !!

In the privacy of your room or home this would not be given much attention, but when it appears in public, the repercussions could be quite severe. Many attribute this to the coming on of an illness, one that robs one of memory. But the brain uses just a third of its capacity during a lifetime. Why then would it destroy that one third of what is left of it. Or simply put if it uses only a third of its capacity and that is what is getting destroyed, why doesn’t the balance two third lying waste take over and protect a portion of its ailing portion.

Think about it .

An ailing injured well wisher and fan has a day fulfilled when he comes up to meet me and reminisces an old old meeting, years ago. There is this issue of the personal visit to their city New York and the desire to spend time with them. There is Shiamak Davar and his idea of doing dance to poetry, my Father’s poetry. We shall consider pretty shortly. It is in line with what many others have wanted to do but not had access to the decision making bodies. I believe they are better off now ; they have a sympathetic countenance and good suggestions. I remind him of the cultural nature of our meetings and the essence of ethos and aesthetics in what we do. He is excited and so indeed must we be. I tell him it is not something unique. There have been attempts in the past by several cultural groups to do similar. They were good. But Shiamak desires that once done it can then be encapsulated and deported anywhere any time. Interesting.

I had mentioned some time back of the interest shown by the theatre of ballet near the Champs-Elysees of Paris and the possibility of me reciting my Father’s works through sub titled theatre. Well, that seems to be fructifying now. The lady organizing the event flies down in a few days to meet and discuss creatives. This must be considered as an important agenda on my programme. The glory of my Father through his words, through my presence, through to Paris !! Exquisite !!

And then within a short while later the creative discussion for a son et lumiere at Jalianwala Bagh in Punjab. Jalianwala, that historic moment in the history of Punjab nay the entire country during the freedom struggle. That enclosed garden where hundreds of innocents were gunned down brutally by the British in one of the most dastardly acts of inhumanness. Innocents that had gathered with family and young children to celebrate the festival of ‘Baisaki’ - a prominent day in the calendar of sacred events. Mercilessly killed and shot by General Dyer and his troops that deliberately blocked all exits so no one would escape this massacre !

So a commemoration to that fateful day in the Holy city of Amritsar. Amritsar the city of the Golden Temple, the most sacred and prominent place of worship for the Sikhs.

We study the creatives and decide to do it in and before February 15, 2010 in order that there is sufficient time to prepare for its release on the anniversary of that day, the day of Baisakhi, April 13th.

Many are perhaps unaware that I have given voice in Hindi and in English to several such enterprises - the Gwalior Fort, Golconda, Tirupati, Khajuraho, Amer Fort, Jaipur and now this. There is a son et lumiere at each of these locations and I feel proud that I was able to contribute some part of myself for the good of the nation, for its prestige !

The evening was set for the press release of the promo of Rann and a conference to follow. It was interesting and quite voluble. Since the film was about the media and electronic to be precise, there was a great amount of apprehension on how the media would take to it. But even though 90% of the questions were related to what the film was ‘actually’ about I thought the press was unbiased, strong and not willing to give up so easily. They took all that was needed to be said firmly on the chin and asked some really interesting questions. I would like to believe that all was well with the evening.

Back soon after the PC to the office to conduct creatives for the shoot tomorrow for Colors. I now play their Brand Ambassador for their release in UK and USA. A coming of a complete circle. Not so very long ago we were all there to launch another TV channel, TV Asia, a first. And now a brand ambassador for Colors -

“अनवरत समय की चक्की चलती जाती है …”

The wheel of time keeps moving on. Another moment from another classic from my Father.

Sailesh Gupta, scion of the family that owns the ‘Dainik Jagran’, the largest portal paper ’Jagran Yahoo’ in the world, about 5.5 crore world wide in Hindi, is there in all his finery. A conference of their staff to be addressed by the scion of another prominent family, moi. It is in Lankawi in Malaysia. The debate or let me say the lecture is on ‘Determination’, an attribute they feel secure in describing me with and hence my required presence there. Glory be !!

Glory be ! Glory be ! O Lord above me … may this be !!

Amitabh Bachchan