Its going to be another red eyed heavy headed day tomorrow, so might as well enjoy it while it lasts. It is late and somewhat rushed, but having just finished my shoot for the day, I have only just returned after getting wet for a rain sequence for the past two hours ! Sometimes the rain sequences are good. They are generally late in the night and invariably at a time when its cold. But getting wet helps you keep awake and having slogged the entire day and most of the night, I actually would not mind doing it all over again !

Nah !! Just kidding ! Would rather be in bed warm and cozy, with something to read or a good show or game to watch on the tele. Shweta suggests ‘Criminal Minds’ an American serial and I must get hold of it soon. She feels its awesome. Just cannot get your mind of it once it starts.

I drove through most parts of the city with Jaya today just to get a feel of it and revelled in the descriptions of the place where she lived and grew up. Most of the memory remains intact and throughout there was this constant refrain that ‘this used to be such a lonely empty street, we walked around here and played, but, look it now, crowded as hell with entire commercial complexes occupying every little inch of space .. ‘

It is a common observation. Visit your hometown or where you grew up after a prolonged gap and this is what shall be heard. The alterations that the area has come to. The emptiness and quiet environment of a particular state or town or area, where we roamed around with gay abandon, now ruined by excesses.

This seems to be a recurring story. We leave a place or living location the way we experienced when we lived on it for a substantial period of time and everything shall fall into place. Each and every nook and corner is remembered vividly in front of our eyes. The streets the houses the people and friends are all falling into a healthy gamut of emotion and nostalgia. Progress, development and so many other related factors have always been accommodated and the lament is the severe disappointment at this level, of our reason to be there.

No particular reason for this activity, but it simply creeps into us when we are reminiscing or when someone else reminisces for us or around us. The houses we lived in seem smaller suddenly in comparison. The streets shorter than before. The excitement of being allowed to visit certain places, all seem, so not significant. They were for us then, huge accomplishments. Not any more. Call it maturity, growing up, getting control of our faculties, whatever .. but there it is ….

And I am not sure of the others, but somewhere deep down within us there develops with time, the need to be back to our roots. To travel back in time, to live that simple life again … and we return to our hometown, to leave our workplaces and live ordinary lives, just like before ! Its almost like wanting to get back to the womb where we all hibernated, grew and behold, were introduced into this world called life, to live and survive each day.

The early labor immigrants that were taken away from our homes and lands by the British to serve in other locations - South Africa, West Indies, Mauritius, Fiji and on .. have always expressed great desire to be with their ancestors. They come in search of them often, many actually finding them and are quite shocked at their demeanor and attitude. My visits to these countries and my attempt to mingle as it were, with those that can surely claim to be from common land has been some of my most poignant memories. The food does not change, the clothing and the behavior, habits, customs, ceremonial celebrations of festivals, nothing changes. Its just that now they are a part of that country and citizens of it, but in the true sense must feel the need to break out of their country of choice and return to their country of birth through their ancestors. They are seen to be greatly more keen to imbibe and respect custom and ritual than those that are originally here. Which is rather strange but …

Distance makes the heart grow fonder !

And when you visit these places …. oh ! dear just looked at the time … its 3 AM !

Ok time to stop and say a quick good night ! I do hope to get some rest and I believe tomorrow shall be easier on the work or shall most decidedly be one where they may declare it as a day off for me … which means .. I get a considerable amount of time to respond to the EF  and fill their life with the ‘amaltaas’ - that tropical tree that blossoms in summer with the deepest color of yellow that I have ever seen …!! they are in great abundance on the streets of Bhopal and I do hope I get some time to send you a picture of them.

How beautifully nature compensates. In the torrid heat of the summer months, a bright yellow blossomed flower to almost repent for the weather condition !! And thats not all. There is the gorgeous bougainvillea. Bunches of them growing wild and in colors predominantly white ! They are so soothing to watch, or be in the company of.

Uhhh huhhhh !! getting carried away again ! Must end now .. see thats the problem always … ending !!

Love to all ..

Amitabh Bachchan