Madh Island today. Once a deserted and distant region north, much north of Mumbai, now crowded and busy with traffic and buildings and constructions. There were beach houses here for the tired and fatigued south Mumbai lot. They came here into little shacks for the week end to relax and rejuvenate. The beaches were deserted. Not a soul on them. For miles nothing stirred. During shootings outdoors, when it was required to capture forests, rocky terrain, car actions that did not require traffic to be managed, chase sequences on the beach, we came to Madh Island.

My first film ‘Saat Hindustani’ had portions of us seven marching towards the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese in these regions, backing up for the Goan landscape. When it was required in ‘Don’ to film a briefcase exchange between two rivals of the underworld, we came to the beach in Madh Island. When ManMohan Desai wanted to film a song on a buggy drawn by the Lilliputian horse in ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ we came to Madh Island. Stories and situations abound on the number of times we have filmed here over the last 40 years for some of the most memorable films of the Industry. And today we still continue to do. The population that visits or perhaps now resides in the high rises that have sprouted everywhere has multiplied from the days when it was difficult to find another human for miles even if we tried. I doubt if many come here to work around the beaches or the forestry. Its more to find that solitary house, the interiors of which become the subject of attraction for the director.

We found one today for ‘INDIA 24/7′. A cozy modern looking residence where the entire unit has parked itself for the coming few days. There are moments with the family that get filmed. Family and one little fellow, Rahul who cutely keeps running up to me after every shot to confirm whether he did well in the scene, or to tell me how much he enjoyed ‘BhootNath’. And on one such moment, not realizing that the house is surrounded by large glass doors that are difficult to assess whether they are open or shut, runs into one of them. Poor chap. I think he was more embarrassed that he could not see that the doors had slided shut than the bump he developed soon after. I attended to him immediately after the incident with some ice fermentation, slipping some of it down his shirt, just to get a laugh out of him. He was fine soon after and the unit went about their work. Painful to see little ones getting hurt and suffering. It happened in Malaysia too one evening during the shoot of ‘PAA’, when two school kids collided with each other running on the gravel and hurt themselves. Your heart skips a beat when you see them in such condition. But kids have a remarkable recovery quotient. They are up and about as fast as they go down, smiles on their innocent faces, ready to do it all over again. Absolute darlings !!

India on the brink of a victory in New Zealand in cricket. If it happens tomorrow on the last day of the Test, then we would have created history of sorts. We have not beaten NZ in their country in many many years, or almost never ever beaten them, or some such analysis. That is quite remarkable !!

Aishwarya has driven back from Karjat where she shoots, in a surprise move, and it is wonderful to have all of us together again. I took them out to dinner to a small restaurant the other day when she had come down. There was such joy in that. The HT( Hindustan Times ) doing a series on couples in the Industry, asked us how we managed to conduct our lives when each one of us is out of the home for such long periods of time. I told them it is not the despair in the long absence, but the joy of being together in the short times that we are there, because they are more intense and strong. Five minutes of an intense meeting can eclipse a month spent together without any consideration to quality time.

The elections are upon us. Elections in the largest and most thriving democracy in the world. TV has nothing else to offer but the electoral scenario unfolding upon us. Exit polls and analysis and who will win from where and who said what to whom and why. Even the media questionnaires that come across to us are full of queries on politics. Friends have become foes, foes have become friends. Games and manipulations all parties play to come to power. To win for the next 5 years and remain in governance. To them politics is an aphrodisiac, an elixir, that compels them to perform.

And my mobile carries promotional sms from prospective candidates, glorifying the party they belong to and the leader they follow. Colleagues of mine propound the importance of how every citizen must exercise their vote. Exercise it so true democracy can flourish. It is the most important task that we all undertake - choosing our governance. Long may we live in peace and harmony.

‘He who FEARS being conquered is sure of DEFEAT ‘

My love as ever -

Amitabh Bachchan