New Year message to Amitabh

Respected Brother,

Sadar Charan Sparsh,

Heartiest congratulations on writing a piece of poetry on the new year. Great to see you revel in such activities. I must add here that the genes are into their own play and the proud Dr. Bachchan and also Mrs. Teji Bachchan would have felt great on seeing your reflections in poetic language, I hope the heavens too have an internet connection at their didposal so that the dead and gone could keep in touch with the rest of us living! Though Ibeleive that every livng being leaves a mark of his own before he departs for his heavely abode, some leave bigger marks some like Dr. Bachchan leave behind a legacy for several years. He lives in ur midst with his writings especially the Madhushala of 1935.

His final volume of the autobiography - Dashdwar se Sopan tak was equally brilliant ad it was completed by me yesterday as 2008 paid farewell to the world. Now only half of the first volume of Kya Bhoolun Kya Yaad Karun remains to be completed, I am convinced in my mind that I shall be able to finish it by 18th January. Somewhere he had mentioned that people in west do not attach much significance to the birth anniversaries they remember and care more for the death anniversaries. In that sense, it would like to reflect my thoughts about him after completing gis autobiography by that time.

Here for the friends and fellow bloggers I must add that the final volume of his autobiography was as gripping as the second and third that I had finished reading earlier. It was more absorbing for the fact that it had a lot to talk about the living legend, that is you brother whom I had enchristened thus on my website when I had first presented some pictures from the unforgettable tour on my website. Sadly, my website has been a subject of hacking attacks and finally I have decided not to update or maintain the abhayasharma.net. The last date on which I had made changes was on 11th October. It is all right, if someone got a pleasure in destroying my website he must have had some logic and interest in doing so! I wish to tell him or her that he has finally succeded in desisting me from maintaining my website.

What probably he or she ca not desist me is from contributing on the net. I have made a small blog for myself and no one would deny the fact that I have written at your blogsite quite heavily sometimes not knowing my limits making some inane and awkward comments and not knwoing how to keep myself short.

The year that has gone and the year that follows can not be different if we ourselves do not make efforts to make them appear different. I do not make resolutions any more as I know it is much easy to go back on one’s word than to be able to live upto them. I have had a sincere thought in giving up smoking as it would have definitely pleased my wife Savita and probably meant an extra saving yet it has not been possible for me to do so! I know some people are more successful in achieving what they desire and you at the helm of Hindi Cinema had been an epitome of discipline and dedication towards your work! Hope some more of us could atleast partially be as successful as you in achieving what we wish in our lives.

Coming to the Dr. Bachchan’s description of your accident on the coolie set, I do not find fault with those who kept Dr. Bachchan at bay from the events that turned almost fatalistic that I really could sense his agony even after the number of years that I reiterate the feeling that it was not correct of Ajitabh, Jaya and even Teji madam to leave him away from the thick of the things. I find him one strong person, he was not so fragile at heart nor did he lack courage to assimilate any kind of eventuality! Anyway, in the poets words jo beet gai so baat gai. or maybe man ka ho to achchha hai man ka na ho to aur bhi achchha hai! No hard feelings on this issue not after nearly 30 years of the event.

His account of the accident was most captaivating part, actually I wanted to put it across on this blog into English, yet since I do not have permission to translate or trascribe I am afraid I do not draw your wrath for doing so! ( translating any part is actually a breach of copyright that I had done so earlier withot seeking permission was on the first death anniversary of Smt. Teji Bachchan when I transcribed few pages on this blog of his account of his first meeting wth Miss Teji Suri. I hope you did get to read that piece and hopefully I did not mess up the contents during translation. I will save myself in court as I do not want to make any profits from my translation (assuming you take it as a serious breach of conduct !).

Someday I wanted to tell you that I have great respect for Dr. Bachchan’s memorial in case such a place is planned in Mumbai, I would not mind serving it for two weekly holidays that I get on Sunday and monday. Oh, not as a job it will be just for free I do not seek even any honorary payment for such acts. Consider my availability for this job and probably even in compiling some of his works for net. I had often told you about the availability of Mangal font I would not mind putting across some of his works on the net, whatever that you may wish me to compile! It will be my way of expressing my gratitude to the towering Dr. Bachchan and for all this I do not need to have any personal interaction with you, I understand many on this earth still would do any thing to meet you in person. My offerings are devoid of any such requests you have to only communicate to me that yes Abhaya you can work on Dr. Bachchan’s memorial and we can start the work on his forthcoming death anniversary.

I think today again I have crossed my ealrier promise to keep myself short and precise but then few things have to be done elaborately as well and I consider highly of Dr. Bachchan’s contribution to the world.

I take leave of you and the fellow bloggers, many have the ability to remember and mention several names, I would only add here that I like all so it is only once in a while that I utter names of the individuals. I particularly find Subhash Kaura and Reeham as the best in contents and respect respectively. Yet there are several others who have been writing awfully well on this blog. I do not want to differentiate and create differences either in your or the mind of others!

Yours always

The loving younger brother
Abhaya Sharma, India January 1 2009, 15:23 Hrs IST