Unbelievable

Amazing. Ballistic. Colossal. Dashing. Extraordinary. Fantastic. Gosh! Heavenly. Iconic. I can go on and on and on till I reach Z two times over, but Amitabh Bachchan will still have much more in his repertoire which will go unmentioned.

You might wonder why I am bursting with emotions like a teenager on seeing a rock star!! Well, ten hours after shaking hands with the Big B, I am still to shake the electric feeling off myself. Allow my restless feet to break into a jig once again, allow my fist to pump the air once again, it is but once in a lifetime that a commoner gets to see the Big B, let alone touch him.

YES! YES! YES! *leaping into the air*

Thanks to my friend P, who is a BFI member, (and keeps springing up treats like the Chak De India Premiere and the IIFA Award function in Yorkshire) I was at the Odeon West End, London, today to watch The Last Lear. Odeon West End is one of the venues of the ongoing London Film Festival (for which P has taken two weeks off work and is watching world cinema while volunteering as a BFI member) and The Last Lear and Darjeeling Limited are two of the Indian films being showcased in this extravaganza.

But, coming back to Bachchan again, Wow!! The man has an even more commanding persona in flesh and blood than on camera. I first saw him through the glass of the entrance, giving interviews to TV channels. Later as I settled in my "second-row from the screen" seat, a mike on the stage, right in front of me, gave me a subtle hint. I realised that if AB were to speak at the mike, boss, I would have the best seat in the whole auditorium. Lo and behold, AB appeared from behind and proceeded to walk on stage to the mike.

After the initial few photographs, I just held the digicam aside to record his video, while I just gaped open-mouthed at the legend - just looking at him, wondering if this was for real, if the baritone ringing through the speakers was THE real thing. At 64, AB carries himself quite remarkably. He does not droop from the weight of the films that ride on his shoulders, his voice does not falter for one moment, and his eyes, though dim in their shimmer, have not lost any of the intensity.

And as he wound up his opening speech, I shut my recording, and before he could leave the stage, leaned forward and asked to shake his hand. Call me crazy, or brand me a typical desi - all your suited-booted decorum can go take a walk. This was the closest I got to the man in all my four and score years, and NO WAY was I going to throw away a chance of getting my hands on him. AB was taken by surprise, I guess, but he did oblige me, and boy, does he have a firm grip!!!

I might have sat in the front row, but I watched the movie from Cloud Nine!!!

Update: I have uploaded AB's speech on Youtube, here, in five parts. Watch out for the third part of the video where I pan the camera around. Those who recognise me in my current avatar can attempt to find me in this IBN-Live video.