Ominous clouds dark and full of lightening and thunder suddenly engulfed the region we were working at and everyone was asked to take shelter to avoid the imminent rain. And as we waited for it to blow over instructions came that we would shoot in the rain. Some brain wave of the director. So we went out and got wet and did some interesting shots.

It was pouring. The young kids were with me and they seemed more excited than the the crew itself. We ran and pranced around and splashed and laughed…

And I suddenly remembered.. When was the last time we did that in natural rain. Most of our shoots are done in simulated facilities. And I was unable to find an occasion when I could have behaved like this within the last 50 years !!

Allahabad… ! Allahabad where I was born and brought up .. Thats when I had perhaps last featured with some degree of madness in the rain. What a moment it used to be. The scorching summer of UP. The hot winds that blew throughout the day - ‘loo’. Not to be mistaken by the euphemism for the other more prominent destination in our every day life. The ice blocks on the floor of the room to keep it cool. The ‘khus’ on the door, with its distinct smell. The cool raw mango drinks that Mother made with such care and the drinking water from the ’surahi’, an earthen pot to keep temperatures down. So vivid and clear even now at this age. We had never heard of air conditioner’s or frigidaire’s simply because we could never afford them.

And then when the first rains came in. The skies darkening, moist cool breezes whipping up the hot dust of months of summer and then the first drops. That particular smell of the earth as it welcomed the vital liquids. For long we would only see the hot vapors rising before us till the earth had been quenched of its thirst… And then we all ran out. Screaming and shouting and prancing about like there was no tomorrow. For hours we remained in that state. Wet, drenched to the bones and happy.

It was much the same at the shooting today.

Rain does that to most of us. I could see a smile and a peculiar joy in the crew as well, as they ignored any rain protection and moved about and around us with gay abandon. Never seen the unit looking universally so happy !! The child and its memories dwells so closely with all of us. How wonderful if that moment could remain with us for ever. Forever with each individual in the world.

Domini my make up artist has brought her 10 month old little cuddly Matilda, with her. Her husband is in his mid 50’s. She tells me had he known earlier the joys of little children he would not have waited so long to have had them…

The past few days have hinged on children and their presence and their need. Many in the EF assume these are silent or verbal indications of mine to members of my family !! Ha Ha.. Good try !!

That is all that I can commit to now.. more tomorrow..

With Love..

Amitabh Bachchan