One of the greatest joys of life is the acknowledgement of joy that you give to others ! And today one got to see it in abundance. God bless those that have loved and admired our work. Those that have considered you from images on an illusionary screen. Those that lived and functioned in the hope of meeting their choice stars from the celluloid ; that had little tales to tell of their encounters and connections. That have carried memories of all that we meant to them for years. For me they are the true celebrities. They are the ones that need attention and acknowledgement.

I have only just returned from the technical dry runs of KBC and the experience of the mock contestants, the affection of the audience, called to sit in as dedicated Tv audience as just so so endearing that it was difficult to tear myself away from them.

Nilesh from FmXt was there and would you believe it, was the first winner on the Fastest Finger First test, to join me on the Hot Seat. He went up to 12.5 lakhs ! The others that came in all had such endearing stories to tell.

‘Saw your shooting in the Netaji Subhas Stadium in Kolkata for Yaarana’ he exclaimed and ‘was in the crowd watching you perform for Shakti in south Mumbai.’ A shop in that corner we shot was named Shakti, and still remains so he informs me.

‘Watched ll your films from the time I was little’, says another and ‘I never imagined that I would one day meet you in person’. What can one say at a moment like this. It is equally speechless for me as it is I presume for them. But the whoops and cheers that went up when I announced ‘chaliye aap aur hum khelte hain Kaun Banega Crorepati !! was deafening.

All this for the first dry run on the sets of KBC. Familiar ground, but new innovations and electronics did put us into adjustments and corrections for the mock rehearsals. All in the course of the evening and all in the course of what Tv programming is all about and all in the course of creativity. May it live long and prosper.

Akshay was shooting in the film city next door and messaged me that he would wish to meet me. He propagates the cause of the Special Olympics and desired that I do a small Tv bite that stated how we must never refer to disabled children in their disability and call them Retarded. Instead they needed to be treated and handled with care and understanding, teaching them to stand on their own feet and not be the cause for any kind of contrived sympathy. Felt good doing that.

The morning had started off early at the dubbing studios to do voice overs for the Gujarat Tourism films. They were all from the second phase of the campaign and were looking pleasant and inviting. The one at the Sabarmati Ashram brought goose bumps. But then that is what greatness in the human does to one.

The Times of India printed Abhishek and my visit to the Lalbaugh cha Raja today on the front page. That prompted many reactions from different quarters. But now our ease of obtaining darshan, has been converted into requests from connected personnel, seeking and asking us for the same. So since the people involved were all work oriented as far as our work was concerned, I had to call up the authorities of the pandal and make concessions for their meeting with the God ! A good deed never goes unnoticed.

There is the issue of the judgement on the Ayodhya, Babri Masjid matter coming up on the 24th, and a large majority of the people particularly those in the forces have been sending us requests to send personalized messages for peace and harmony to prevail irrespective of the outcome of the court order. Bharti Dubey from the TOI writes a column and wishes to know my reaction on the secular and integrated nature of the Industry, or whether differences occur within communities when reactions become violent and separatist. No they most certainly do not ! We take pride in the construct and intent of the fraternity. We are I believe one of the strongest examples of national integration and one that we all are very proud of.

During the 1992 riots after the bomb attacks in the city, we had all got together in a peace march that walked the length and breath of the riot stricken areas pleading for harmony. We play characters from different faiths, even though we may not in reality belong to it. There has always been an unwritten law within us that has kept us integrated and together and transparent. And we can never think of any other than the deep desire that peace and well being prevails after the court verdict on Ayodhya on the 24 th of this month.

Tomorrow morning we start ‘POWER’ the film with Raj Kumar Santoshi. A soft launch through a mahurat, in a nearby Hotel and then back to KBC. Time and place do not have a stop block within them. We accept the times and the place and do our best, leaving the rest to all of you.

Good night my dearest ones, my family, my support system … it is late is it not …

Love ,

Amitabh Bachchan