I’m not sure how many times Shweta Bachchan Nanda has written about Amitabh Bachchan. The last occasion was in June for Father’s Day, but her latest, in Vogue India magazine, is the best so far.
The article is a measured statement of love that is diametrically opposite to the gushing affection her younger brother Abhishek openly shows towards their 73-year-old father.
Shweta, who is far more reserved in public, begins her “ode” by pulling no punches in her description of the Hindi film industry: “It’s a gladiator’s pit; it’s you against the beasts, and if you manage to end the day alive then glory is yours. The only caveat is that you have to get back in the pit and get ready to fight, to prove yourself yet again, another day,” she says.
It is something Bachchan has done for four decades. The secret to his enduring success, says Shweta, is his ability to be open, to learn, and to adapt: “He is a prolific adaptor to changing circumstances … He harbours none of the disdain age has for youth: he doesn’t screw up his nose to the music, art or sartorial sensibilities of the generations that have succeeded him. In fact, he’s adjusted himself to find harmony in all of it. He is never outdated, be it the newest technological fad – the Apple watch, for instance, or mastering social media.”
The article, which is accompanied by several pictures of a young Amitabh with his children, includes a long list of reasons why he is “cool”, such as:
• Because no one does angry like he does.
• Because he is full of childlike wonderment even though he’s seen it and done it all.
• Because when Louboutin sends him shoes, he addresses them “To God”.
• Because he took it in the solar plexus, literally, and lived to tell the tale.
Bachchan also has a tremendous sense of fun, which is apparent in his daughter’s descriptions. He throws movie nights for the family with cosy blankets and gigantic bowls of popcorn. His passion for all kinds of music delights the entire family. His quirky addiction to office supplies, particularly pens, makes them laugh. And on his 70th birthday, he danced until six in the morning, without stopping once.
But the best thing about the article is that not once does the word “blessed” – popular among celebrities when talking of their loved ones – appear anywhere, making it the kind of rare tribute that could only have come straight from the heart.
