Passion to work, passion for the profession, passion in passion. All are acceptable to me. And if they cannot understand that then its time to get passionate for them too. Passion overcomes uncomfortable circumstances, heat dust inclement weather everything. The job needs to be done with the commitment that was promised when we started it. Do not start it if your conditions for the commitment are not in place. Do not start it if there are apprehensions of time, health conditions or any other. And do not get affected by those that disuade you from the commitment, for, they do not understand what it means to you.

It is my life, my work, my prerogative. If there is suffering, I shall suffer. If there is achievement I shall achieve. I cannot understand why and how others would like to take offense to this. So … I believe that when others disuade, they admit their own short coming. I can empathize with another’s issues, but how can I change my issue to suit someone’s empathy !

I shall not. Which is why, when there is objection to timings and sleep and health concerns, I think first of my commitment and my passion. If they are in place, I am in place. And I am in place.

It was Chandivalli Studios this morning for ‘POWER’. And what a wave of nostalgia crosses my mind. This studio is in the open. Just apiece of land with no floors no construction. The odd structure you see are incomplete buildings, a village, an office, a few scattered lawns and wide open spaces, thats it. And I can say with some authority that there was a time not so long ago when there was this very famous belief, that there is not a single film in the industry that has not at some point or the other, shot the film at Chandivilli. It has been the backdrop for that famous cut work or patch work from the snowy mountains of Kashmir to the most modern cities in and around the country, to remote village backdrops and just about everything.

I shot ‘Saat Hindustani’ my first film there and it has not changed even in the last 40 years that I have been around. But from the temple scene of ‘Deewar’ to the rotating restaurant of ‘Naseeb’. From the ganpati handi song of ‘Khuddar’ to the action of ‘Coolie’. From ‘rang barse’ to endless songs in my 200 odd films, all have had the great honor of being a part of this most unobtrusive yet most desired studio.

It was here that ManMohan Desai reconstructed the fight sequence of ‘Coolie’ after I had recovered. I got up in the shot where I had been felled in Bangalore ( Bengaluru ) in this studio and resumed the fight by punching my opponent. It was here that I had driven my car late in the night on to the temple steps in ‘Deewar’ at the climax of the film. The car crashing into the steps was done here, the scene of my death in an indoor studio at Rajkamal. And on and on and on … jst such an endless stretch of films that were made in this studio. And … never ever was there less than 4-5 films being shot simultaneously. If there was a song sequence for say two films being shot in the outdoor, one would stop and wait till the other had finished their shot before the other took over, just so the play back sound of one would not disturb the sound of the other.

It was built in the outskirts of the city, this Chandivilli Studios, deserted and lonely with nothing around it. That was its USP. But today as I drove up there, I discovered that the planning of the city has encroached upon this pristine region and no longer can it be termed as possessing some exclusivity. Its almost as though the heart of the city has shifted base to this region. And I wonder, just like so many other studios in the city, of relevance and great history were destroyed and given up to the developers, this little patch of studio may have to follow suit. A pity !

Good night dearest ones .. I still have not kept up my promise of more pictures .. but time constraints have not been conducive and helpful and so I make another promise for tomorrow … hopefully it shall be all there …

Amitabh Bachchan