The birthday girl was happy and content and out of ill health. Flowers of different shapes and sizes and quality kept coming in at regular intervals and have now occupied various vantage points in the house, other house, office, everywhere. When it gets beyond a certain level, they decorate the lawns till the morning and then sent off to Hospitals around the area to please patients that have never had the means to be welcomed by a bouquet of flowers !!

Abhishek came over from Rohan’s filming in Goa and we all spent time which we had not for a very long time. Chatting, discussing, joking, pulling peoples legs, watching a movie and on …

No special evening or event, Jaya did not want it and so we kept it quiet and cozy. A few dear friends kept calling in and that was it.

After a certain age these glory days begin to not make any sense at all. The ritual of cake and candle begins to take a back seat, the number of candles for the advanced age, does not at times permit the entire age to be depicted on cake and so on. When you go to find reason and fault, many obvious ones and many divisions occur. We can succumb to them or fight it off boldly. I have not decided yet what path I should follow and so there is a feeling of bringing in change. But when I weigh the issues of the world and life, ours seems such a frivolous and unnecessary act, that change is the last thing on your mind.

I never knew that surrogacy is not permitted in Germany. And so when ever a couple wishes for it, they come to …. India. Gujarat being that one important destination, at a place called Anandi ( I think if I have heard correctly ) where surrogate Mother’s give birth and labour for 9 months for someone else’s child !! I have often found this practice to be not in keeping with social and moral norms, but there it is.

I think by the time I reach here, Mumbai Indians would have perhaps lost again at IPL 3. Its such an addiction and its creating huge numbers.

Poland TV came over to speak to me prior to my visit to their country for the Krackow Film Festival and we did an interview with their anchor who was also a big star - Natasha !

Polish films have always had fascination for me. And some very important and sensitive films have been made and then almost as if by fate , disappeared. The crew and friends that accompanied the anchor were a little in awe and were I believe, unaware of the films and their working that prevailed in local conditions. But we are taking ‘PAA’ there and initial respect for the film deserves at least some recognition and applause !! Its a pity that this is the only film that shall have me at this festival and because of my intricate make up may never acknowledge my presence. That would be a thought I guess ….

It is time now that I start paying respect to the ‘yellow’. So hopefully tomorrow there shall be many attempts to indulge in this …

I hold back a lot. And I wonder if that is a good thing to do. The mind is full of so much to say on issues that need to be spoken about. But the intricacy of the matter and its subsequent sensitivity prevents me from doing so. I do not just remember them, but also feel the need to talk about them within and to write it down, so at least in these times, when memory failures occur more often than desired, a large amount of substance remains collected for a point of reference.

Sleep well dearest ones … I shall return …

With my love and continued affection ..

Amitabh Bachchan