‘Teen Patti’ was unveiled to the press today at a ceremony in a multiplex, followed by the traditional press conference and a barrage of questions for the cast and crew. I have wished for the promotions to be put up on the blog and perhaps as soon as I can be delivered them, they shall be put up for your perusal.

This over, there was a dash to the Lions Golden Awards, where there was recognition for Paa, well, more recognition would be appropriate. Best actor for Vidya and me and most importantly best film for Paa as well and an award for R Balki as director. This was greatly satisfying, since I do believe that the goodness in an actor for a film would never be possible without the tacit help and motivation of the director. We are what we are made to be by the director. If we are recognized then the credit and entire praise should be the directors, for, it was his dream and vision. A vision that many of us conceptualize but are unable to execute. It has therefore been a most intriguing factor in my mind and I am certain in the minds of many, what it is that builds that first vision of a story and a film in the directors mindset. And then more intriguing, how does he get the ability and capacity to make it materialize.

I am often asked when I would direct a film and my standard answer to that has always been that I can barely act, where am I going to get the acumen to direct. To me it has been an enormous task that can only be fulfilled by those that have passion and desire to want to tell a story. I guess sometime or the other we have all wanted to do that - to narrate a credible story. But to convert it into film is indeed another matter. I am most happy when I do not have to worry about the aspects of film making than with those connected to a performance. Prepare, perform, and push off ! It may sound too selfish a thought, but really what else could I ever contribute to it.

Those that contribute to the politics of the nation or follow it, will always wish to know from another mouth, the value and worth of a parallel effort. It would be in keeping with political philosophy or the way politics should function, that other avenues exist. I am not so sure it would replicate itself in other formats too.

Directing a film is an enormous task. Every aspect of it has to be understood and envisioned before any serious claim can be made on this. Which is why I think the respect and admiration and acclaim that should have rightfully been the Director’s is sometimes destroyed by a complete misunderstanding of what his or her contribution, in the field of direction, is.

There is travel again. To Kolkata to attend a function for the school run by Basant Kumar Birla’s daughter at the prestigious Netaji Subhash Indoor Stadium. The very same, where on my insistence, my Producer and dear friend Habib Nadiadwala shot those exciting song sequences in the film ‘Yaarana’. What a moment it was and what a trip to our favorite city, Kolkata.

My years of service as an executive in the city notwithstanding, Kokata has always been a passionate and overwhelming experience. The people there can and have the ability to pick you up and throw you up in the middle of the atmosphere without as much as touching you. Lovers of art and music, lovers of great sports, lovers of their politics and most importantly their ability and their incredible spirit in functioning under any circumstance, makes them for me, the most enthusiastic and lovable city to be in. There are many other regions in the country and many other cities that could claim this attitude and temperament, and I adore them for it, but Kolkata is Kolkata. There is something about this first Capital of India under British rule that still bristles and evokes.

There are of course any number of incidents that bring back nostalgia, but since we are on the topic of ‘Yaarana’ and the Stadium shoot, I shall never forget a moment that still remains as an unforgettable experience in my system.

The capacity of the Stadium is about 15,000 seated. It is, as is the norm in indoor Stadiums shaped like a scooped out bowl. The arena in the center being unoccupied for the games and facilities to be executed. We were shooting inside the arena, surrounded by a capacity crowd around us since the Producers in order to get a full house for the shoot had advertised in the press about our presence. There were on the day about 25, 000 inside and more than another 50,000 outside the Stadium since they were unable to get seats, it being a free entry.

When you try to seat 25, 000 people into a 15,000 seater there are bound to be problems. When there are problems, the security in the shape of the police moves in for control. When the police, a most hated entity on occasions such as this moves in, there are disgruntled elements. When there are disgruntled elements there is discord and high voltage reactions. To control high voltage reactions, a member of the audience got inadvertently hit by a cop on duty. Hmmm …

Not a very good idea in this city … !!

All hell broke loose. The Kolkatan passion is not just reserved for enthusiastic morale boosting ego. It has extra reserves of energy for moments that had just been instigated. Amidst uncontrollable mayhem, seats cemented to the floor were getting ripped up and thrown into the arena and a general state of uncontrolled mob hysteria followed. Surrounded on all sides by this angry and furious crowd, the police formed a protective screen around all the crew, now whimpering inside this bowl of trouble, mush like accused offenders in the Roman Coliseum thrown open to the lions !!

The police in very hushed but conspiratorial tones, if they could be heard thus in all the wild screaming, directed us to leave or else they would not guarantee us our safety. Amidst all the commotion a contingent of the security assigned to us by the State led us out from one of the many openings to the facility, into our cars and asked us to drive like hell out to the Hotel - the Grand, not too far away on Chowringhee.

But escaping film artist from facility is a misnomer. The 25, 000 inside and the waiting 50,000 outside ran into each other and now became a fan frenzy mob eager to see their favorite star. The driver of said vehicle seeing this mass of humanity converge on this rather timid looking Ambassador car, left the wheel and fled, prompting enterprising Producer to take the controls. But enterprising Producer is from Mumbai. He is now in Kolkata, driving a car not his own, containing vulnerable stars and some very scared ladies, completely ignorant of where he has to go to reach Hotel Grand. There is now no visibility. We are surrounded by this mass of humanity, whose anger from inside the Stadium has remarkably switched to adoration and love. But adoration and love too has its moments of excess. This is Kolkata remember !

Amidst all the banging and thumping of the car by the enthusiasts and futile lathi charging by the cops we begin to move in inches. Where, no one knew. It was just a movement into a mass of people, clambering on the car with screams of adulation and seeking attention from each one of us. I think we had moved a couple of feet in about an hour when the unthinkable happened !

Yes ! You got it ! The car stalled and refused to start !

No police around to explain the situation. No mobile phones then - we are talking late 70’s early 80’s. Now way to inform of our predicament and no sign of the police because they have been completely blocked out by the crowds around us.

And then the moment happened. I call it the spirit of Kolkata. After waiting for a while and sensing that in the noise and mayhem the car was not moving, they understood that the engine had failed. Around 25 - 50,000 people full of passion and excitement virtually lifted and pushed and carried this car of ours more than a mile all the way to the door of the Hotel, pulled us out and saw us safely inside !! Incredible !!! And only in Kolkata !!

I am the ‘jamai babu’ of Bengal ! I married a Bengali. The respect they have for the jamai, perhaps bode well with them and saved me !!

I am back in that Stadium for the school function. I have visited it again on two other occasions since - a concert and a debate conducted by the leading newspaper there, The Telegraph. But that was in the 80’s. I return there after about 20 years. The Stadium, not the city. Now with age and passage of time the enthusiasm will have eased and ebbed towards me. It happens. Celebrity invites these repercussions and changes. But Kolkata will always remain dear to me. The 7 exciting years of my life as an executive, working in a company and then the visits after joining films shall never leave me. They are imprinted within, along with the love and affection that came my way from the city and its people.

Lord !! Its 2 : 41 AM !! I never realized !! See, thats what Kolkata does to you !!

Amitabh Bachchan