What is it about Alma Mater’s ? The attachment is so great that even years after leaving that institution, we still favor our attachment and regard to it. We follow its activities, its alumni and wherever mention is made of it our ears and sentiments perk up. You meet someone in the course of your present existence and on knowing where he or now, she is from and there is an affinity to the subject. You still root for the school and you still ‘hate’ the rival !!

On mention of the days spent at Sherwood a flood of memories overcome you and everything is as vivid and clear as though it had just transpired a few days back. It is the impact of our dedication to curriculum. These are some of the moments in the life of the human, when he is disciplined to a given form, a routine, a respect, an order. And because we are compelled to follow it, well, compelled is too strong a word, because we are willingly introduced to a design, a design followed by all that inhabit the glorious portals of the institute, to which we have submitted ourselves, we follow. We follow routine and format and we honor it. That honor remains with us for eternity. Perhaps the absence of it in later years as we get enveloped in the world and life, is what prompts us to remember those days gone by and look upon it as ‘the happiest days of your life’, ironically the title of a play I did in Kolkata when I became independent and ‘free’ ! Ha !

And this morning it is nostalgia of place and time that consumes me now as I sit here in the sultry calm of golden Goa. Numbed by the sheer laziness of inertia the place invokes a certain disdain to curriculum and order. You wish to do as you please. Sit, walk, sleep, eat whenever wherever you desire. It is the air. And you honor the air !

The first film was here, Saat Hindustani, the struggle of 7 Indians in the fight for the liberation of Goa. Seven Indians from different parts of the country with different beliefs and faiths, but with one ideal - to free the land from the colonialist Portuguese in its fight for independence.

The socialist belief of our director Khwaja Ahmed Abbas was always diligently followed by cast and crew. Moving in the 3rd Class compartment by train, traveling in buses to location, sleeping on the floor at muggy and devoid of any luxurious setting Government Circuit houses in the middle of dense forests, the monsoons playing havoc. That kerosene lamp at night by the bed to be our only guiding light. Sparse food to eat, sparse living conditions to contend with, but determined and full of enthusiasm for the first film that you partake in. And as I drive through today from the airport to this Holiday resort, I remember those streets of Panjim where we shot the climax. The roads have widened, but the spirit of the people still in tact as also some of the glorious structures that were so typical of the architecture of the time. A little ahead on the main street another beautiful Portuguese structure that had at that time housed the only Hospital. The hospital with so much that transpired there. the shooting of Great Gambler, Amjad’s car accident as he drove with family to Goa from Mumbai, our rushing him to this medical facility and the tense moments a I signed documents to authorize surgery to save his life. On the right as I drive by the river Mandovi, that 50’s designed Hotel, where we stayed when shooting the climax of Bombay to Goa. What a change from the grungy circuit houses in earlier years. On the right too along the river side, forests of pine, a strange phenomenon, growing lusciously by the sands of the river and where Shashi ji and I on horseback and fire and fight had rescued the children, Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh and Waheeda Rehman for our grand poetic offering Kabhi Kabhie, in its climactic moments.

Fort Aguada and this resort was a blessing from heaven in those days. It was the first attempt at realizing the importance of the tourist potentials of the region and of building facilities of relevance and modernity, and later, the building of the Hermitage, an extension of the same Hotel on the hill next door, prompted I think by the patronage it received by none other than the then Prime Minister of the India Mrs Indira Gandhi when she hosted a week end for the Commonwealth Conference, or something equally important here in these very cottages that we now occupy. The Aguada taking its name from the fort next door built by the Portuguese and aguada because it had within its structure a massive water reservoir for the storage of water, aguada in Portuguese meaning water ! Its built underground, at least 20 to 30 feet deep and spread across almost to the size 2 football fields, lying vacant and discarded not in use, but of immense tourist and shootings value !! Shot the climax scenes of action in there for Pukar along with Dabboo Kapoor, for Gogi Behl’s film. Gogi Behl whom we lost had done Jawani Diwani with Jaya and Kasme Vaade with me. His son Goldie, now a dear friend of Abhishek and has done 2 with him too independently. The resort has its own history of many pleasant times spent there. The family and Shweta an Abhishek accompanying Jaya and me for several of our shootings. The early morning walks by the long uninterrupted beaches, swimming in the sea, going across further down the beach miles away to Anjuna Beach, now the hottest spot, for food and musical evenings, bohemian and so friendly - Shashi ji having a little cottage there where he disappeared to every week end. Inside the Hotel, one desperate night when Zeenat Aman came banging on my door in the middle of the night screaming for help, because a thief had entered her room and Prem Chopra and I who were on the same floor rushing out to chase the guy. Goodness, so much has changed now. The lead up to the Resort has become crowded with shops and eateries, there are hundreds of more people around and global warming has lifted the sea level so dangerously close to the land that there is hardly any beach left. But there are millions of other picturesque sites all over this beautiful state and region, unexplored and still pristine and yes still bohemian.

Many from all over the country are buying property here, many from my fraternity too as an alternative place to be away from the pressures and stress of work, to escape, to be by themselves. It is that kind of place that invites, embraces, cajoles you. It will always be so.

Ok… Abhishek who is shooting here for Rohan Sippy’s new film has just come in because he has finished early, so we are going to be in the sun and ‘chill’ .. incongrous eh.. ? Ya but that what its all about.. Aishwarya went back to Mumbai this morning to shoot for Sanjay Leela and we return tomorrow..

And trying to put up some more pictures .. in another post … for some reason they do not register on the post page …

Love you and … what can one say …

Amitabh Bachchan