Your concern still overwhelms me and I am short of words, for once, in trying to gather sufficient gratitude for all who wish me a speedy recovery.

I would like to believe that your prayers are indeed having a substantial effect on my condition. The tests are all coming positive , but physical examinations still have certain areas of doubt. They need to be cleared and until such clearance comes my way, my personal physician does not permit me to travel anywhere. So I lounge at Prateeksha, try my level best to produce yellow lines for those that communicate with me and in general am giving a tough time to the staff at home - they not being in a situation where they find me at home throughout the day !!

The foreword to Madhushala was discussed extensively with my niece and the creative agents and now having submitted it to them shall wait for a dummy version to be shown to me so that I may finally approve it and send to print. There was however one other point that needed attention. An epilogue to the poem, much like the prologue also existed in my Father’s words. That has also been of some value to the book - additional verses that were not not included. I consider them to be of some relevance and so I need to get get back to the drawing board to adequately translate them and put them up. Beyond that, there seems to be an approval on the content and hopefully we shall be in possession of the final copy within a couple of months, well before his birthday on the 27th of November.

I am mightily amused at a report that came from the MidDay in somewhat bold headlines through the good offices of its HitList editor, Sarita Tanwar. She has been a most cordial and accommodating individual - visiting me on set not for any particular reason, but to build in her words, a relationship of trust and friendship and to clear the air of any misunderstanding that may exist between her paper and us. She has been interviewing Abhishek and has expressed on mobile sms her appreciation on a particular blog entry of mine, which has moved or impressed her. Her husband who works for Stardust and allied magazines has conducted cover photo shoots with me, without me knowing his relationship to her and she has during the course of my work, urged me to help cooperate with him, which I have most willing done. Since then there have been cordial communications with Mid Day at various levels - their new Editor Abhijit asking me to contribute a piece in first person on my passion, which I willing did and which they generously printed and which I had put on the blog. During my meetings with them I have expressed concern over some of the wild stories they have been carrying which were not only completely untrue, but were simply not worth their weight in carbon print. This I must in all honesty say, they acknowledged and also gave assurance of them not recurring. Having been in the profession for over decades of media interactions, one gets immune to these words of ‘wisdom’ from them - my credentials resting in the fact that apart from my 40 year tenure in the industry as an artist, there is also the privilege that I have acquired of seeing many of their ilk retire and merge into oblivion. I find it odd that they would , or she would, devote an entire page on castigating me and my family on the issue of the use of my car and its connection to global warming !!

Read -

I am asking the EF… what in your opinion and in your words should be my response to this..?

May I just add that this did not come suddenly to me. What did come to me suddenly was an sms from their journalist Tushar stating as follows -

‘Mr Bachchan just wanted to check if you are aware that in the US there is a move to ban SUV’s as they are called ‘gas guzzlers’ and bad for the environment. As a brand ambassador of iifa, who supports the green revolution ( and even have a green carpet event ) have you considered not using your SUV’s ? Thank you. Tushar from MidDay’

I am aware that my acumen in keeping the press happy and co operative is abysmal. I am not generous enough in entertaining them to either media jaunts to out of town activities, especially those in foreign lands, and neither do I have the required savvy to invite them to social gatherings and parties like a Karan Johar does for his birthday to Sarita Tanwar and others of her ilk. I do get disturbed though when mention of my private meetings with the media heads, on my blog, entertain their ire. An ire that threatens to disassociate the cordial assurances promised between them and us.

If media needs to be nurtured for personal gain I would imagine it would destroy their very tenets of unbiased reporting, would it not. In keeping with that sentiment, if I have desisted, is there some error being committed on my part ? And if so, then I am guilty of a most unethical crime. A crime I should suffer for and make amends. So yes it is disappointing to see a disparaging attitude by the media towards me, because I was unable to or was unaware of the required and necessary pandering - an activity that many others follow so effectively !!

My apologies therefore to the press and to every journalist worth his or her ‘yellow pencil’ in this my most sacred fault !!

Sarita Tanwar, Tushar and the entire team of the HitList of Mid Day I stand guilty of this most inconsiderate practice of ‘gas guzzling’. Because my riding an SUV within the precincts of my professional journeys in the city has caused damage to the environment through dangerous carbon emissions!! Especially since we have taken the initiative unlike any other, on the issue of global warming and the consciousness towards the greening of our universe. How dare we preach something we do not practice !! This is disgusting on our part !! We must stop using these vehicles. By us not using them I am certain as you insinuate, the effect of global warming and indeed of carbon emissions shall most certainly disappear and the universe shall have the greatest joy of surviving several hundreds of years of existence !! The glaciers shall stop melting, temperatures shall be in control over continents, oceans shall ebb and not occupy land mass, tsunamis and earthquakes shall be deterred. Humanity shall breathe easy. The fear of destruction to the world shall have been contained !!

O Lord ! I have been awakened to deliverance ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you !

I have made my contribution to existence. My worth in this finite world has been now, justified. And that one most important element that stood in my way and human existence, has been identified and removed - this devilish ‘gas guzzler’, my Range Rover SUV !! Off with its head !!

BUT… dearest Sarita Tanwar of Karan Johar party invite… I have a suggestion to make. When the removal of my one such SUV will save the world from hundreds of years of existence, would it not be worth its while to extend the life of our planet even further. I mean think of your grand children to the power of infinity pushing yellow pencils for Mid Day in cyberland !! Thats an exciting proposition is it not ? Or would you rather let good ol’ smsed Tushar do the noble deed ?

Well here’s a ‘heads up’.

Would it not be wonderful if the entire printing press community, stopped burning carbon print for their newspapers. I mean you guys buy the stuff in gallons. Imagine how many villages you would be able to light up if the entire print media stopped the use of this destructive chemical. Ya, there would be no news papers anymore, but, whats a few news papers in the context of saving the world.. jahaan hai toh jaan hai..bhai saheb/ bahenji.. if I may audaciously be permitted to reverse the well known idiom !

And.. I say… tell this chap Tushar to stop using his mobile. Have you any idea what the radio activity each call and sms sent, creates for the environment ?It all adds up deary !! Lets start at home first, no ? So this is fixed then.. no mobile phones ok ? When you need to communicate, just walk across to AB’s house and ask him the question. What is a couple of kilometers ? Nothing ! Will help burn the calories, keep you fit. I mean, there will be a whole lot of walking that you will be doing in getting other interviews, so might as well na ?

Ok.. honey, lets get back to this dreaded SUV !! This monster of world destruction !! You must have read few days back Mr Ratan Tata has launched the Jaguar range of cars in India by buying out the company from Great Britain. This Tata, I tell you, he is some guy no ! I mean what a fantastic move. Imagine buying out a British Company. What a great day for us Indians. All we have been hearing for the past 200 years is how East India Company was devouring all our land ! And now here comes this great great grand son of Jamshedji, who was ridiculed by the British because he wanted to start manufacturing steel, buying out their most prestigious brand !! Amazing !!

Just one point Saritu and Tush. The Jaguar has in its stable the Range Rover SUV and they are saying it is going to be manufactured here in India !! What is this yaar !! Thousands of these monsters will be made here, imagine what they will do to the environment. Look !! Its not late yet ! You guys are media, the whole world shudders in front of you because you guys expose the truth. Get on to your walking shoes and go across to Tata House and tell Ratan they have to stop making this damn SUV !! Its going to ruin the environment damn it ! He will listen to you. Every one listens to the media. they are scared of you…. guys ?? Come on !!

And whoa…!! Wait a minute. As you return from there don’t forget to go by Mahindra & Mahindra, they are making this awesome Scorpio SUV ! Man it is something else… indigenous, good looking, sturdy as hell and ready for export to the western countries ! Chalo ! if they are going to the foreigner thats ok. At least our environment will be safe. Let these SUV’s destroy the foreigner. Good ! For so many hundred years they destroyed us. Tit for tat !! You have the address na ! One of their main centers is on the highway to the airport. Will be a bit of a trudge from Ballard Estate to there, but Tushi baby look at the service you are rendering for the nation !!

And hey !! Do not. I repeat. Do not make the cardinal mistake of complaining to the cops. This Maharashtra Police, I tell you, they are second to only the Scotland Yard of Britain. Right now they are smarting because of 26/11. You need to treat them with care. All of them use the Bolero SUV and the Qualis SUV. You mess with them baby, they run you over with them SUV over your chest. Think of your walking journalistic future Tushaaar !! They do not make guys like you any more !!

Ok we are drifting.. we are drifting… get back… focus.

Airplanes !! Got it ? Biggest destroyers of the environment through their emissions. And listen, they are doing it closer to the carbon rim of the earth at 35,000 feet man !! They got to be stopped. You know where to go ?? Right you got it ! Ministry of Aviation ! Stop Air India. Praful Patel is the guy. Right now he may actually hold and kiss you - believe he’s having trouble with the Unions. Would be a nice escape for him. No plane , no Union. Simple no ? Stop King Fisher, go meet Vijay Mallya at his pad in Goa. In Goa eh.. remember Goa ! I tell you why. The beach in front of his gorgeous palace is being eaten up with the sea coming in… because of what, Tushar, Sarita… whoever is listenning… global warming !! Go stop Jet Airways ! They are retrenching heavily. They will love you for this.

Most important !! Listen up !! While you are walking across the tarmac like that lone Chinese on Tiannamen Square stopping tanks, sorry planes from taking off, look beyond to the Kalina side and observe the multitude of private jets of all shapes and sizes parked there. Go tell Mr Mukesh and Anil Ambani, go tell Mr Tata, go tell Mr Singhania, go tell Mr Ruia, go tell the Jaypee Group, the Videocon Group and all other corporate groups to stop flying these environment polluting ‘gas guzzlers’. Don’t miss out the Maharashtra Government planes eh.. all the Ministers fly them to their constituencies and other important places to solve problems of farmers committing suicide and opening grand institutions that look after the poor. Sensitive issues, be careful !

When you are finished with Sahar, sorry Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj AntarRasthtriya Airport.. walk.. walk baby… walk across to PawanHans helipad at the smaller Juhu Airport. Theres millions of helicopters standing there doing sorties to the off shore oil drilling rigs. Stop them. And O ! heck… OIL !! Completely slipped my mind. You know to ascertain the presence of oil they burn the gases coming out from the wells. Now this is too much yaar !! Look at the number of oil rigs all over the country. West coast, East coast near Orissa… you must have read… all legal matters going on about the gases coming out from there with the Government and the Ambani Brothers. Go tell them to stop production and digging and sinking tubes into the Bay of bengal and the Arabian Sea. They are spoiling the environment. And while on oil, its a bit of trudge, cover Iraq and Iran too. There oil wells have been burning for the past 65 years !! Imagine the pollution, man !!

So what are you doing Tush baby. Just don’t stand there mouth open. Get cracking.

Get to Delhi. Tell Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister, to stop using SUV’s in his convoy. All those heavy duty SUV’s that carry ‘jammers’… explain to them… tell them you are revolutionizing the world. Your concept is revolutionary. You got this revolutionary idea from the United States of America. We have good relations with them now. Obama visits us soon, go tell him… he will listen…explain to him this concept of the ‘guzzlers’.. I am certain his remark shall be novel and impressive - YES WE CAN !! ER… that may be misunderstood by his Secret Service detail as YES WE CAN THROW YOU OUT… but do not get intimidated.. stick in there buddy… you are the lone voice, unfortunately, against the mightiest nation in the universe, the US of A. The nation that is the biggest culprit of carbon gas emissions in the world. The nation whose one city - Los Angeles - guzzles the petrol requirement of an entire country ! Go tell them that you are shocked that every citizen of LA has on an average 2.2 cars against his name as an owner, the biggest pollutants to the environment in the world. Go tell all the power generating plants to stop producing power, for electricity pollutes the environment. Tell these power plants to stop using coal as burners for their furnaces, for coal emissions are pollutants - nuclear treaty for nuclear power to be used for generation of power be damned ! Go tell the ruling Congress Party and its Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherji who has just a few days ago presented the budget to Parliament and reiterated that the growth rate of the country shall be 6.5 % because of the development that needs to be done to alleviate the condition of the poor, by greater industrialization. Go tell him that industrialization, building of factories and their running cause the greatest effluents to cover our skies thereby destroying the environment. Go tell the world to stop using every oil and petrol run vehicle. Go tell them that we need to bicycle to work and play. Go tell the world to stop manufacturing armaments and bombs and guns and artillery and tanks and fighter planes and submarines and aircraft carriers, for they all emit gases that affect the atmosphere. Go to Kargil and the front areas where our jawans bravely defend our borders and tell them to put their guns away. Go stop every manufacturing unit in the country…

AND my friend.. after you have succeeded in doing so come to me and I shall happily hand over my SUV to you !!

I am ashamed by your choice of quoting a presumed activity of a foreign land and equating it with an inconsequential element for mere sensationalistic review. Your complex for the ‘gora’ pervades all. You must know that India is by far one of the most ‘well behaved’ environment nations in the world. You must know that America and Europe and their multinational companies are responsible for 15 % of chlorophine effluent in the atmosphere as compared to 0.8 % that is emitted in India. All these dear fellow are deep political and diplomatic ways to bring disgrace to our nation. It is a pity that you have fallen prey to it.

Sarita and Tushar… get rid of your mobile, your electricity, your air travel, your cars, your news paper, push yourself back to prehistoric times and show me the way to progress so that we are not referred to as a developing nation a nation that is referred to insultingly as the third world. We want to compete with the world, to bring our standards up. Our standards will rise when there is development. Development shall come from great industrialization and that shall perforce come at the cost of environment destruction, not ONE SUV !! Yes we need to be aware of the dangers, we need to evolve structures and gadgets that are environment friendly. You talk of brand ambassadorship and IIFA and the propagation of the green. Yes we do that and we talk about it and shall continue to talk about it despite your unwarranted headlines. At least we talk about it and make people aware. But what do you do ? Every IIFA we have symbolically planted trees in the host country. And all the plants have been of Indian origin - the champa in Bangkok, the lotus or kamal in Macau and on. We honor Dr Pachauri who worked along with us through his Nobel Prize winning organization to bring electricity to the millions of villages in the country through the use of solar energy. We have 500 billion years left of the sun’s energy. We must put it to good use. At IIFA this year we agreed to take on the sponsorship of the electronic giant Panasonic, because of there committed philosophy of manufacturing products that engulfed properties that were environ friendly.I have 1000 square yards of non built up area in my house at Prateeksha and have never succumbed to the developers and their insane money that they keep offering to build on it. Instead I treasure that space and keep it green, my pride being a small sapling that I sowed in the lawn when I bought the place. It has grown into a lush leaf laden tree of eminence and grace. There will be elements in this modern progressive scientific world where we shall be unable to do without the use of equipment that shall cause destruction to the atmosphere, but doing without them purely because they cause dangerous emissions, is not the cure. We need to progress and we need to protect and we shall. Not by getting rid of one SUV, a borrowed trait from a country that is the biggest offender ? No sir !

We shall progress through development and industrialization and every other element that can bring us on level ground with the first world. We want to walk along with those that are in the front line. It will cause us to bear the heat and we will. You as a paper may do well to keep the heat off in other ways -

STOP PRINTING MID DAY MATES IN YOUR PAGES….!!!

It is now 5:24 AM !! And the importance of the issue has coerced me to be up so late to address it.

Sarita, I know that you have published today a rejoinder to your yesterday’s headline, where you have tried to nullify the damage done by your previous article. But remember always if you have the right to be the keepers of society so do I. If you have the right of cynicism, so do I. If you exercise the right to pull my leg I shall pull yours as well. And every time you shall abuse me wrongly I shall rightfully correct your abuse. In a free world every one is equal. The circulation of your prestigious paper may be a million times greater than the readers that come to my blog. But if I can convey my point of view to even one person, I shall feel liberated.

Tonight I do !!

With love and all the warmth beyond that which is global…