An encounter with Amitabh Bachchan and why 8×10
iView Author: Yusuf Tabatabai (Doha, Qatar)
Email: symehdi67 [at]gmail[dot]com
An Aam Aadmi’s Encounter with Amitabh Bachchan
In February 2002 I was travelling from Doha to Lucknow via Delhi when I had a very brief accidental face to face encounter with Mr. Bachchan. At the domestic airport in New Delhi when I was standing on the small stand and being frisked by the security guy I suddenly heard a voice that sounded somehow familiar. Almost immediately Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav appeared on my right hand side and, without being frisked … naturally, moved to the other side of the security barrier. Another person followed him closely, this was Mr. Amar Singh. But both of them, having reached the other side, were waiting for someone. Then I heard Mulayam utter “Amitabh … aaiye”. But no one else emerged from behind me. Now, this made me turn back and yes, Mr. Bachchan was there. Unlike the other two gentlemen he had chosen to form a queque and was waiting behind me.
When I turned I found myself staring in Mr. Bachchan’s face not two feet away. Only an ordinary nobody can imagine what kind of expressions must have appeared on my face at that time. Though I had never considered myself so dumb but it actually happened that I found myself unable to utter a single word. Maybe the surprise of the encounter was too much. Well, I failed to greet him. But he didn’t. With a smile and a slight bow he greeted me as well as acknowledged my obvious shock. I, on my part, found myself even more startled and managed to just mumble God knows what and turn back to continue with the security check.
I am writing all this only to convey the fact that celebrities can win over people by their behavior also. Yes, I am not a big Amitabh fan (though I do acknowledge he is considered and treated as an icon) but this gesture of his (taking the lead in greeting an ‘aam aadmi’) has won my respect. The younger generation of celebrities would do well to learn that it is not only your work on screen but your acts in real life also that can get you new fans.
One more thing that I noticed and that impressed me was that so early in the morning (it was around 7 a.m. in Feb in Delhi) he was looking so fresh and energetic. I was just 35 then and he was around 60 and yet the difference in fitness was obvious.
A few minutes later Mrs. Jaya Bachchan also made an entry and from the talk around I gathered that they were boarding some chartered flight. Those days elections were on in U.P.
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Why 8 x 10? :
Though it is true that no film starring Ayesha Takia has worked commercially till date, yet, she is not the reason why 8 x 10 Tasveer will flop. Actually, it already has.
There are so many things in life that I am still trying to understand. One of those is that how come a sane, sensible person can make such blunders that should be obvious to any average person. Till the other day Nagesh Kukunoor was best known for IQBAL and generally known for making sensible films. All his films before this misadventure were small budget. This was the first time he was working with a big star and having big money to spend. This was also the first time he was trying his hand at a thriller. He has failed on all three fronts.
One more thing, Kukunoor is both director and writer here. If you wear two hats do you fail to see clearly? Many a big and established names have faltered when executing dual responsibility.
The movie starts engagingly and remains more or less on track in the first hour. But the second hour is nothing but a series of mistakes and the climax is so poor that I actually felt pity for the producers.
……………………………………..Spoilers ……………………………………………………………………………………………
Why they needed one more Akshay Kumar? Because the viewers are least likely to be able to guess it? Fine, but what about the bundle of unexplained questions that it throws at the viewers? For example where this Mr. Jeet was living all this while? Did his parents know about him being alive? How come he too was in Canada? And most simple question: Why he went around killing so many people when all he wanted was money? So all he needed to do was to kill Jai and take his place. Simple, no?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
And why name the film “8×10 Tasveer”? Why not just “Tasveer” since nowhere in the movie the hero has pondered about the size of the tasveer before jumping into them?
What problems Kukunoor was facing that he made such a poor film I do not know but I do know that we, us poor viewers, do have a problem at hand. We do think. And therefore cannot digest such films. How I wish we were also smarter. Why didn’t I give it a miss?
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Sir, your encounter with Mr Bachchan made for very nice reading.
But when you write about a movie it’s considered practically criminal to give away the ending, no matter how much you dislike it
Editor bhailog…
We are into general elections already.I’m afraid the first part of your seems more of a political propaganda.I may be reading too much into it but the 8×10 review was sort of packaging.I may sound like conspiracy theorist but you could have avoided naming politicians and election.It is best avoided.
Keep writing.
@sourav – we should avoid reading too much into anything and everything. so what if the general elections are around. i dont think just naming a few politicians in a post is going to help in swaying the election results.
@Sourav:
Oh tell me you were being sarcastic.
And Yusuf, your last paragraph reads like it was told by Eddie Izzard.
:D..was just kidding man…
Hope you did not read too much into my post :D
I will share my personal experience..Mr.Bacchan is seems likable..had accidental chance to meet him like Yusuf.Great vibes..I had exactly the same views as Yusuf’s.
I just hope my 2 cents arent worth 2 votes swinging here and there.
:D
:D..was just kidding man…
Hope you did not read too much into my post :D
I will share my personal experience..Mr.Bacchan seems likable..had accidental chance to meet him like Yusuf.Great vibes..I had exactly the same views as Yusuf’s.
I just hope my 2 cents arent worth 2 votes swinging here and there.
:D
In my opinion, it is unnecessary to start your article (8*10 Tasveer)with pick on Ayesha Takia, saying her films are flop,
Bad movie review!!!
@sourav – lol. good to know u were not serious yaar. your comment never seemed as if u were joking. no hard feelings mate.
Trying to sensationalize things ;)
Name of Amitabh, and then 8×10, no connection.
“I am writing all this only to convey the fact that celebrities can win over people by their behavior also.”
Yeah, that’s the problem, celebrities understand this, so there are many who r always trying to win heart by that way, and do acting all the time.
(I am not saying it against Amitabh. He looks like a nice person. But i have felt that he understands the media and public very well now.)
(by the way, when same person went to the tirupati..).
—
Ayesha was good in Dor.
I have to see 8×10 Tasveer yet. and i think, it must be a good movie. Nagesh is not that dumb, he must have seen something in the script. I will watch it soon.
I like the time-travel kind movie. But yeah this concept is totally fictional one. and in that too, they don’t follow many scientific rules.
—-
I don’t know where to write this.
Yesterday i was watching Swordfish (john travolta) And they were talking abt, 128 bit encryption, 1024 bit encryption, worm etc.
Now if a bollywood filmmaker wants to try such things, will indian audience understand anything ? Here one has to explain everything, every little detail abt everything.
Science fiction won’t work in india.
—
i am more curious to watch this movie now. i will write later abt it.
@8×10 review
Teen Deewaraein was a thriller of sorts. So I don’t think this was his first attempt at a thriller.
It’s actually an Abbas Mastan movie. Everything is explainable that way.
Cheers!
~uh~
8×10 was a huge disappointment. Three Walls, Dor and Iqbal; I could not stop singing the praises of these films. I still own old VCDs of Hyderabad Blues and Rockford. But 8×10 and Bangkok were cringe-worthy at best!! Nagesh, if you’re reading this…’laut aao’….
I was thinking abt this article, and i felt that.
this encounter was not with Aam-Admi.
(i am not trying to criticise abt amitab or writer).
But, i think, plane is not an ordinary transportation. Every big guy, travels by it.
Aam aadmi is in bus, train (not in shatabdi express).
Amitabh didn’t know, whether u were an aam-admi or special-admi.
Dear Kenny,
You are right. The ending should not be disclosed. My apologies to the readers and the filmmakers. I stand corrected. Thanks.
Dear Yusuf,
Your article on Amitabh Bachan was an interesting one…… the way celebrities behave gives u an insight into their real character ….
Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Kamat
Hi,
This is really very interesting and exciting coincidence how you meet Mr. Amitabh and how you express it is wonderful.
For 8×10 tasveer I am agree with you, movie is very confusing and bore and is a very disappointing thriller. As about Aisha Takia her performance is okay but the full story is very bore and I am confuse how this name fit for this story.
Thanks
Amina