The Smallness of Big B?

In my Oct 11 post, I had gushed my adulation for Amitabh Bachchan. But the recent event managed wedding of Abhishek and Ash and the loud noises made in/ by media left me puzzled about this great actor. Was wondering - is AB losing it?

No doubt, he is a legendary actor. But increasingly his close crony friends - Amar Singh and Mulayam, his less than credible endorsement of brand UP and his 'manglik' obsessions have left huge question marks in my mind!

Well, am not alone. The Outlook issue(May 7) has the artistic and literary community berating Amitabh's conduct during and before the Abhishek-Ash wedding...

Says film-maker Mrinal Sen - "The ritualism of so many temple visits is ridiculous. It's shocking that a person of Amitabh's stature should be indulging in this."

Voices the artist Paritosh Sen - "Amitabh has set a dangerous example by displaying superstitious beliefs. Because of who he is, the public watch and believe that much more."

The intellectual class is of the view that Amitabh's big-banner ritualism is a travesty of his father Harivanshrai's legacy!!

Of course one can blame the TRP hungry television media for the over-the-top attention given to a celebrity marriage but the fact remains that Amitabh has made a big public tamasha of a private wedding...And his overly superstitious doting father role has dented his image!

Kool Kareers @ Bollywood

With so much of Bollywood around us, it's impossible to ignore it. In ET today there's an article on the cool careers that stars are role playing on-screen. One did have a feeling that unlike the 'berozgaar hero' of yesteryear's that did the rounds of offices in chappals, with his 'degree and certificates' in a file under his arm, hunting for 'naukari' to help his 'booddhi maa', stars are at the cutting edge as far as their on-screen careers are concerned!

Cut to the new millennium, we have stars all with jobs, living in palatial houses( even in Bombay), engaged in cool jobs(including advertising:-)

In Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Preity is a fashion editor, hubby SRK is a foot-ball star turned coach, Abhishek is a top PR guy arranging hot parties for dad - Sexy Sam!!

In Don2, Arjun Ramphal is a 'hacker'; in Krrish - Priyanka Chopra is a TV producer; in Lagey Raho Munnabhai, Vidya Balan is an RJ; Saif is an architect-turned-celeb-chef in Salaam Namaste and girl friend Preity is a med-student turned RJ!!; in Hum Tum Saif was a cartoonist and Rani was a fashion designer and SRK as a NASA scientist in Swades...

Some in-the-pipeline-films from UTV have the star as a footballer(Goal), as a call centre executive(Metro), etc.

It's difficult now to decide from the pace at which Bollywood is adopting 'hatke careers' what is driving what! Is Bollywood driving real life or vice versa.

Looks like once again Bollywood is at par with advertising(Wagon R, Saif in the Royal Stag ads)when it comes to depicting cool careers or maybe ahead of the curve yet again...And even in real life, you have a Karan Johar who is a film-director-cum-producer-cum-chat-show-host-cum-entertainment-channel-CEO all rolled into one!

Then again the comparison may not be fair. As ads have a shrinking time-compressed aperture of 20-30 secs whereas Bolywood has the luxury of 3hrs.

You could also check out - The Future of Bollywood