Archive for August, 2008

DAY 131(i)

Posted on: August 31, 2008 - 9:23 pm

Comments: 573

London, UK       August 31, 2008            6:40 pm

 

Chelsea drew with THS !! Disappointed !!

But what an afternoon ! Electric !!

Eye is better as you can see. Expression is not happening at all !!

Check out the jacket and the scarf !! Cool eh ! Ha.. ha.. sugar is still working..

Had to be formally dressed. Circumstances.

More later..

Amitabh Bachchan

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DAY 131

Posted on: August 31, 2008 - 8:42 am

Comments: 263

Ramadan Mubarak

London, UK    August 31, 2008        11:15 am

 

To all my Muslim brothers, sisters and friends - Ramadan Mubarak !!

 

Amitabh Bachchan

Posted in: Uncategorized



DAY 130

Posted on: August 31, 2008 - 4:04 am

Comments: 336

London UK,      August 30, 2008     11:20 pm

 

OOOKKKKKKKAAAAAYYY !!

There are serious problems ! Not with the world. Not with society. Not with the blog - well just a little maybe. Not with the Industry. Certainly not with journalists and media. But…

With my eye !!!!

Woke up this morning with just one eye. Yup ! One eye ! The other did not open. Walked across to the mirror in the wash room and almost fell into the ‘watchamacallit’ with fright !!

Eye has ballooned into err.. well a balloon !!

So cold compression, and eye drops and all sorts of home remedies later a call to my doc in Mumbai. Would have taken me a lifetime to get an appointment with an eye specialist here in London. And on a week end ? Forget it !

He had packed for me a medical kit for the tour and thankfully the eye medication too. So there is relief. both in temperament and the eye.

But a warning ! NO ! Not about the trumpet sillies ! Its about the time spend in front of 17″ Macbook Pro !

Just have to get off it, guys..else…

WILL NEVER GET TO SEE THE CHELSEA GAME TOMORROW !!!!!

 

Sorry, sorry, sorry… being really cheesy eh ! Apologies.. Its the sugar over dinner !!

 

Ok.. serious now.

If I need to repair, I need to get to bed and need to shut eyes off the blog, so I can with added strength be back with you in the ‘morrow !!

 

And hey !!  Get off the friend from South Africa. She did not write the article. She read it somewhere and forwarded it to me. I have asked her to keep sending me whatever comes her way on me, because most of the time I am unaware where these gems of wisdom keep appearing. Its Fatima. The delightful little Fatima, who sent me the article on Shab e Baraat.

 

Love you,

 

Amitabh Bachchan

Posted in: Uncategorized



DAY 129(i)

Posted on: August 30, 2008 - 4:29 am

Comments: 379

London, UK August 29, 2008 midnight !

My friend from South Africa sends me this mail - and I will not comment !!

Hysterics over Histrionics

The desperation to remain in the limelight is symptomatic of the insecurities every superstar suffers from, writes Derek Bose

Amitabh Bachchan is having to face a lot of flak these days, for reasons not entirely of his own making. Wherever he goes, his handlers are holding what is known as “meet-and-greet” programmes. It means that for a certain sum of money, you purchase the right to shake Bachchan’s hand, pose for a keepsake picture and walk away with his autograph. No receipt is issued for the amount paid and there is no guarantee that your turn in the queue would come before the megastar runs out of patience, ups and walks away. But it is a chance people are taking. And when things don’t work out their way, they are throwing a fit.

Now Bachchan claims that he is not a party to any such commercial arrangement and has asked his fans for documentary proof of moneys paid and commitments dishonoured. According to him, he meticulously abides by what he is contracted to do and if there is anything out-of-the-way he does to please his fans, it is purely a goodwill gesture. Quite clearly, he cannot be held responsible for some foolish people who want to part with their money or for the racketeers out to make a fast buck using his name.

What Bachchan and indeed, all top-ranking stars cannot deny is that the “meet-and-greet” is always a welcome activity on the sidelines of a concert tour as it reinforces their standing in public eye. It contributes immensely to the fanfare surrounding stardom. Nothing can be more disappointing to a movie star for the public to be indifferent to his/her presence, or worse, being completely ignored. Stars survive on public adulation and invite as much chaos and confusion, controversies, discord and disturbance they can, if only to raise their stocks a few notches higher.

At least Shah Rukh Khan has been frank enough to admit that he enjoys being mobbed and wants people to stand outside the gates of his house chanting his name every morning. He sees no point in a star trying to “hide” behind dark glasses after spending half his life to be recognized. On his part, he has gone to exceptional lengths to extract full mileage from his star status, from dancing at weddings to making an appearance on the cricket field to promote a film to actually sponsoring a cricket team… And he makes no bones about it. Other stars are only now picking up the tricks of the trade from him.

The desperation to remain in the limelight is symptomatic of the insecurities every superstar suffers from. But today, this anxiety has turned into a fierce battle of one-upmanship, fuelled largely by two factors. One, never before has so much money been chasing so little talent in Bollywood. From monstrous paychecks to multi-movie contracts and profit-sharing deals with multinationals, the perks associated with stardom are absolutely mind boggling. Everybody is determined to make the most of this situation in the fastest possible time. For, there can be no saying when the bubble will burst. And nobody wants to miss the bus.

The second and more important factor stems from a general acknowledgment of the fact that a film’s box-office run is no longer dependent upon the looks, personality or histrionic ability of its lead actors. More films with rank newcomers are proving to be bigger hits than those with established stars. In fact, there is very little a star brings on the table that another actor cannot in order to pull off a hit. That even freshers like Ranbir Kapoor and Harman Baweja (with major flops behind them) are going places is indicative of the intensity of competition around.

To make matters worse, the room at the top has already become overcrowded. From a time when there used to be one Rajesh Khanna or an Amitabh Bachchan to rule Bollywood, we moved into an era when the three Khans ~ Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir ~ called the shots. Now, there are at least three other frontrunners snapping at the heels of this triumvirate. Akshay Kumar is on an unprecedented roll. Hrithik Roshan is a long distance prospect. And Saif Ali Khan is the joker in the pack, capable of upsetting the applecart any time.

Till that happens, it is a level playing field out there. And since talent, seniority and acting ability have ceased to matter, the war for box-office supremacy has spilled beyond the silver screen. Today, it is being fought on six fronts:

l Television: We have all seen it happen: Just before a film’s release, members of the cast start popping out of every channel posing as chat show guests, celebrity judges or simply giving interviews. The film is released and they are gone!

l Awards’ functions: No awards’ function recognizes merit, but making an appearance at the event matters ~ be it as a performing monkey, the show host or as presenter of the trophies. It is all for a consideration, but adds to good PR as well.

l Overseas shows: There’s big money in this. But more than moolah, it helps to expand the star’s fan base, strengthens bonds with colleagues and sends out signals to others in the industry about who is with whom and how!

l Film parties: Never before has the guest list of film parties become as important as it is now. For those who attend, it establishes allegiance to a certain camp. And for the star host, it establishes the clout he enjoys in the industry.

l Sweetheart deals: Every time Shah Rukh appears in a Karan Johar show or Katrina Kaif plays ball with Salman or Amitabh drops in at the premiere of Aamir Khan’s nephew’s film… you should get the drift.
l Blog wars: The ultimate free-for-all space for every self-obsessed star to brag and abuse, rave and rant, crib and curse… As of now, Bachchan’s blog attracts maximum traffic among the stars, followed by Aamir’s.

These are well thought-out strategies for sustaining star power, far more effective and long lasting than short-term publicity stunts like rumour mongering and planting salacious stories in the media. At times, things do turn ugly ~ as in the case of Shah Rukh almost getting into blows with Salman at Katrina’s birthday bash. But from a long-term perspective, nobody can do without these measures for building their brand equity. After all, Bachchan has taught them that there is no age for retirement in films. And with all major stars having crossed 40, it is imperative they devise ways to extend their shelf life. This, essentially, is the Big Picture.

Letting their work speak for themselves, obviously, does not fit into this scheme of things.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=19&theme=&usrsess=1&id=220229

Posted in: Uncategorized



DAY 129

Posted on: August 30, 2008 - 3:54 am

Comments: 281

London, UK       August 29, 2008           11:10 pm

 

I am spent !

Spent an entire day giving my responses to all the 300 odd readers who came to the blog for DAY 128. My eyes hurt. They are red and numerous doses of eye drops have not helped. What will help is some rest and sleep.

The children have pulled me out eventually and taken me for dinner. Italian. San Lorenzo. A place that used to bubble with energy and activity. All the greats would always be there. From the celebrity world of tennis and film and on the odd occasion, royalty.

Tonight it was not that same place. Quieter. Fewer people. Not the same energy. Sad.

I have noticed this phenomenon often. Particularly in the west. Loyalties to a particular place change. People start patronizing a fresh new location. Want to be seen there, whether the food is enjoyable or not. It is a trend. Like fashion. One year black, the next white and then red.

The only energy tonight at the restaurant seemed to come when an unstable man ran in and started abusing the staff. A lot of unsavory language was spilled at high decibels. The place became even quieter. And then he left. Management said he keeps doing this often. Scary.

Everyone in the group is lamenting the fact they have to return home. Its been a pleasant trip and long. Time to get back. All good things come to an end.

 

Ha..ha.. my blog created a bit of humor. An important guest at the Concert, one of those that had written a most flattering and emotional text message, which I put on the post after the London Concert came across to visit me.

He did not agree with my ‘rusty trumpet’ reference in an earlier blog and so, gave me a gift. Ya ! you guessed it.

A brand new trumpet !!

 

Those in my vicinity are warned. I am trying out my new acquisition and have no idea how it works !! I believe these objects of great musical content, when played by novices are capable of causing serious brain damage !!

The danger is not for tonight. I sleep now. But could be for later days, or nights ! More, night.

Good night !!

 

Amitabh Bachchan, with love and understanding and recommended ear plugs !!

Posted in: Uncategorized



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