The flavor of the day has been Teen Patti, as you may have well observed by now. Posters, promos, talk at Cannes and some generous coverage in the International Entertainment Media.

Ambika Hinduja the producer, has returned from Cannes with glorious stories on the impressions Teen Patti created when it was show cased at the Festival. This exercise is completely alien to me. What transpires at this French Mediterranean city, the marketing and presentations, the interest by large corporates to buy the film for an overseas market, PR exercises in strategic parties that are organized by the makers, preferably on a yatch and then of course the red carpet and star turnout for media excitement.

Ambika tells me that those corporates that saw the promos, loaded here for the benefit of EF, were very impressed and showed keen interest in acquiring the film, wishing to see it once the final copy was ready.

The whole Festival scenario is a most complicated and intriguing experience. How to market a product, which company to appoint as sales agents, getting the Warners and Sony’s and Foxes to buy so it can get widespread North American distribution, European distribution, and so on..

Too strenuous to follow and manage. I would much rather utilize that time on my work on the film, than anything else.

We may have gone into a break because of PC for another day, which then brings us close to the outdoor in Delhi. So Delhi will be perhaps the next stop for the shooting of the film PAA, then its back to Mumbai for local work. Soon after it shall be Macau and IIFA, back to India and then soon after to London for the balance work for PAA. That would be a wrap on the film and setting up for a November release depending on the post production that will have to be accommodated.

The work on the foreword for Madhushala is nearing its end. Not satisfied with the translation of my Father’s Preface that he wrote for the book in 1935, I have made consultations with a few other of his devoted admirers in order that I may have the benefit of choice when I decide to publish it along with the book. It has been a rather difficult exercise, but the essence of his words in Hindi need to be tackled in a most knowledged and authentic manner, otherwise the beauty of his thoughts shall be lost.

As if writing one foreword was not enough, I now have a request from Germany from an admirer of Madhushala, who has sought my permission to translate the book in German and having done that, wishes for a small piece from me on my Father and his work. Shall be done, Claudia !!

The blog has developed a technical problem and the server needs repair on some of the changes that are being done. This is why you shall perhaps not be able to see DAY 400 at the usual hour. I am fortunately writing this on Word and shall cut paste it by tomorrow morning on the face page. My sincere apologies, but quite obviously it is a matter which is not in my immediate control.

It has now passed the magic hour of mid night, a time which generally indicates a retire to bed operation. Yes that shall happen. But hey..

Football lovers… it’s the final of the UEFA Cup – Man U vs Barcelona..

So see ya.. !! yippee the game is on…!!!

Amitabh Bachchan