When you were young Sundays meant so much. You waited patiently for it. It meant not having to get to school at an unearthly hour. When you got older and started earning a living by doing an office job, Sundays had a different meaning. No office and a day off for extended lunches and extra curricular activities - theater, or a movie, golf, squash, hanging out with colleagues and friends. When you became a professional Sunday had a mind of its own. It meant getting to work early because the traffic was less !!

I got in really fast today and that brought a lot of joy and contentment on the faces of the film crew. It brought joy on the faces of my efficient make up team for they were able to devote concentrated time on me and not be hurried through the process by over zealous radio connected wakie talkied assistant directors. It finally brought the schedule in Malaysia to an end. In time, in control and on schedule.

The heat and humidity and the intermittent rain was never a dampener. There just was that energy on set which took care of all shortfalls and shortcomings. Happens often. That extra stored up strength, that extra effort when you know the end is near. That last sprint before you hit the tape on the athletic track. Have no idea where it comes from but it comes - the adrenalin.

And so it is with PAA. We all go back tomorrow, a day’s travel rest and on to Ram Gopal Varma’s new film. Will do some substantial work there and return again in a short while to PAA.

Ha ! Ha!

No, the cynical laugh is not for crazy schedules. Its on a little chat with my junior colleagues on set today.

While I sit with one of them on a bench, waiting for the shot to be readied, he suddenly questions me -

“Does Darsheel have to do auditions ?”

I am a little stumped and in some wonderment on this topic and content. Because it comes out of the blue and without any context or reference. So, I look at him with equal questioning -

“Darsheel ? Audition ? What do you mean ?”

“Ya !” he nods, somewhat contemplative, “Darsheel, the little boy in Taare Zameen Par. Does he have to do auditions ?”

“Why ?” I ask, still not getting the reason for the query.

“No, he’s a star na ! So does he have to also do auditions for parts in a film ? I had to. For this one ! ”

I tell him I do not know, but am inwardly trying to assuage why the question from this 3 feet something be-speckled talent. And I am unable to control my insides from a giggle.

This guy is starting off really young. He has seen and experienced his ‘rival’ and wants to ‘compete’ with him on equal terms. I am amazed at his thought process. And amazed really at the thought process in him at such an early age ! Remarkable !! Professional jealousy, rivalry and the desire to excel all rolled into one ! Cannot imagine the kids of today. This friend of mine could rattle off all the adds., he had worked in along with all the dialogues of his and the others in it with a detailed account of the shots taken. And that is not all. In between breaks they will all be fooling around and enacting scenes from films of a time when their parents were their size !! Rajesh Khanna, Dharam ji, Dev Saheb, old films of mine, dialogues and songs all pat. When asked how they know all this they said they had seen all the dvd’s. Pretty nonchalant about it if you please.

Question : Are they seeing it out of their own desired will or are the parents showing it to them as a training, if it can be called that, for prospective roles in films. There is huge competition here too. The line producer informs me that to select 7 kids, they had to audition over a 100 and all of them measuring up to each other rather well.

Gosh ! I never knew. This is serious business. I was under the impression that the kids were just randomly picked up from friends or well wishers and brought in to play roles just for a lark. But 3 feet tells me there are agents that actually conduct formal procedures where kids are tested and brought in for movies and adds.,.

No wonder the little fellow was keen to know on Darsheel.

I cannot say whether I want to laugh over this matter anymore. In fact it sets me thinking. Just look around us. There are so many activities on film and TV and competitions and reality contests and serials that have kids contributing enormous amounts of energy and talent for commercial gain. Is it taking them away from their normal growth plan, from their education or is this an acceptable 21st century phenomena ?

A topic for debate ! In an enlightened liberal democracy. In a free world of equality and discussion and argument. In a personal blog, away from exploitative media hounds !! Within the EF !!

My love as ever.. and do notice my efforts in keeping the posts reasonably short - a frantic desire from respondent..

Amitabh Bachchan