As promised the pictures from the Salon du Cinema. Various events. The inaugural with the Chairman of the Festival and the Ambassador of India. The master class with a live audience. Signing an enormous poster being painted of Sarkar Raj and so on…

The changes in the dress acknowledging the changes in the varied programs !!

Many would imagine that most of the faces from the crowd are expat Indians. They are not. They are all French citizens. Immigrants. But French now. From all over. Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and several other French erstwhile colonies. A poll recently conducted in the country sought the numbers for the most famous and popular personalities in France. Guess what the results were. One, two and three, immigrants. No Sarkozy, no Carla, but immigrants ! Amazing !

The work was arduous as always. A bit of action and stunt today with crashed cars and accident victims. Some old friends from the days of yore that coordinated stunts with me in the 80’s and 90’s, still there doing what they do best. A joy to catch up with them. Older, grayer, paunched, but still full of fun and energy.

A car needs to crash and overturn. They want me to be in the frame watching it happen in the film. I decline. I hate it when stuntmen risk their life and body doing the most death defying acts. It is disturbing for me and so I stay out till it is over. Safely, fortunately.

A scene follows and ends quickly. And I am early home. A quick meeting with young directors wanting to narrate a script and then to bed. Sorry, blog ! Its an early day tomorrow. Jaipur, and the release at the Literary Festival of ‘Bachchanalia’. Just for the day and then back to wig and beard and rain !!

There is an air about Jaipur ! I like going there. Well, I like going everywhere. But winter in Rajasthan is a delight. The nip in the afternoon sun. Elegantly and stately attired staff at the Hotel in traditional turbans. The delicious food and the vision of the most well designed city in ancient India, by the Maharaja who’s name it takes.

The forts and palaces and temples and markets. The colors and the jewels and handicrafts. All unique and regal.

Its nearing 1:00 am. I shall be up by 4 :00am and then an entire day of travel and activity. Shubh Ratri !!

I catch some wonderful quotes from Bina for your reading pleasure -

The higher a man gets, the smaller he seems to those who cannot fly.

Friedrich Nietzsche

German philosopher (1844 - 1900)

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the

public and have no self.

Cyrilla Connelly

I was brought up to believe that how I saw myself was more important than

how others saw me.

Anwar el-Sadat

Egyptian politician (1918 - 1981)

I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule

of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.

Frederick Douglas

It really doesn’t matter if the person who hurt you deserves to be forgiven.

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. You have things to do and you want

to move on.

Anonymous author

Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.

Janis Joplin

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in

harmony.

Mahatma Gandhi

Have a restful night.. and have my love..

Amitabh Bachchan