As per accounts of people who live in the vicinity, his birthday every year is marked by the arrival of his admirers – people from diverse walks of life, some young some old, a few infirm but all equally devoted to their idol. All they want is a glimpse of him; witness a wave of their idol’s hand or a casual glance in their direction. It makes their day. A look at the news reports, comments posted on his blog gives an inkling about the popularity that he continues to enjoy and the admiration that he evokes among colleagues.
And it’s not just the unwashed masses that come away impressed with Big B’s gestures even directors and actors get raving like smitten schoolgirls when Mr B turns on the charm. Post Drona, almost everyone who he invited personally, even those not known to be close friends with him have been gushing ever since. The overriding concern about his health is testimony to his talent that has stood the test of time but more significantly it says something about doing the right thing by people who idolise you. Unlike stars that habitually send out a press release even before they do a good deed, Mr B, by all accounts, does his bit without any fuss. It was with his signature humility that he dropped by for a while at Screen’s 57th anniversary party last month. He had just arrived from his whirlwind Unforgettable Tour and was busy with promotional activities of his film – The Last Lear. There was also the tension about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s rather virulent protests against Jaya Bachchan’s remarks and I was wondering, with no small degree of skepticism, whether he would be able to make time. But he did keep his word and with characteristic charm, had the guests as well as our entire team floored before he rushed off to a dinner engagement in South Bombay, a good two hour drive from Juhu!
And this is but one such incident that I recount. Stories of the special effort he puts in for friends and professional associates abound. It is no wonder then to see the condition of his health be the topic of conversation almost everywhere. The common refrain through it all is that Bollywood’s iconic superstar should not overexert himself. That’s the junta’s verdict if you will Mr B – people don’t like the thought of you being away from the movie screens. Demanding? Yes. Intrusive? Perhaps, but that’s us Indians for you – we are like this only.
The new word order
On a lighter note, the alphabet K which had come into prominence courtesy Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar seems to be a thing of the past. Ekta who created television history of sorts with the resounding success of Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kyunki Saas... has deviated a bit in the choice of names for her films. A recent co-production has been titled EMI indicating a shift from K factor. That Karan Johar, the other popular proponent of K has chosen the title Dostana for his next (the original starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman was also a Dharma Production) is a sign of things to come. His next directorial venture My Name is Khan is also a departure from the tried and tested alphabet. Meanwhile, Rakesh Roshan continues to be a loyalist – after Krazzy 4, the next production under his banner is titled Kites. Here’s looking forward to a new word order and more defections from the K camp!
