“I think the whole magic of Amitji has gone now. I think he should gracefully retire.”: This childish comment from director Anurag Basu on superstar Amitabh Bachchan quoted with severe reactions of a couple of filmmakers in a local newspaper really baffled all. Had any veteran like Subhash Ghai or Javed Akhtar voiced this opinion about Bachchan it would not have disturbed as badly as they are his contemporaries. I literally don’t understand what prompted this lesser-known director like Basu to go so far as to give a silly piece of advice to the star of the millennium.

Although virtually all the industry top guns including the likes of Anil Kapoor, Rajkumar Santoshi and Ramesh Taurani strongly reacted against the irrational remark of Basu and it is really unfathomable as to why Rakesh Roshan tried to shield him by saying that the director in question was misquoted. Why blame the media?

As for Bachchan’s magic, he is neither drained nor a spent-force. His charm and charisma is still intact. It’s a known fact that he is still a bankable as well as saleable star and very much in demand thanks to his huge fan following the world over. Needless to say, the young generation of writers and directors conceive special roles for him. It’s a divine blessing to him that even at sixty-plus he is both physically as well as mentally active and busier than many a young star.

And who is Anurag Basu to advise Amitabh Bachchan for a graceful retirement? There is no fixed age for retirement in an actor’s life. In fact, an actor never retires. Actors are either accepted or rejected. And there is no escaping from the fact that the lovers of Hindi cinema have accepted Bachchan as an acting god. With a large number of memorable and all-time hit films to his credit Amitabh Bachchan as an actor has doubtlessly become immortal. He has attained such a peak of success that no human force can bring him down. His achievements as an actor are monumental. His fame is imperishable. He is a gifted artiste, and I don’t think he would ever retire. He’ll be working till the last breath.

What is Anurag Basu’s contribution to the film industry? There are merely three-four flicks to his credit, and none of them is a Sholay, Mother India or Do Aankhen Barah Haath for that matter. In comparison to Amitabh Bachchan he is indeed a nonentity. I therefore have a doubt. Was Basu’s remark on Amitabh a deliberate attempt to stir a controversy and get some mileage? It may be the case, because the hunger for making news and watching oneself on the front page or page 3 is a dangerous addiction. Publicity-hungry guys go to any extent to keep themselves in the news. It has been seen time and again that a nonentity comes out on a rich and famous personality just to get some cheap publicity.

Like in the eyes of Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was a jewel of India, in my opinion Amitabh is a priceless jewel of the Indian film industry. It’s really a matter of pride for Bollywood that it owns an actor like Amitabh Bachchan.
MEERAQ MIRZA (Mumbai)