My dearest FmXt,
I am overwhelmed by the response to yesterday's post DAY 668. The number as I write has reached almost 800 and counting. This is not a response of a large number of people incensed and angry, it is the response of a large number of my extended family's show of strength. The strength of togetherness, solidarity and oneness. It is an army of individuals that has without any exception expressed their utter disgust and disgrace towards the article in the Mumbai Mirror. I salute you in your condemnation of the content, this soiled and unworthy piece of garbage, carried. I salute you for the determination you show in not tolerating this kind of debased journalism. I salute you for giving me the endorsement of my will in standing up for the women in the house, even though they are all quite capable of demonstrating their own individual strength. I salute you in recognizing eventually, that my repeated references to the media and their unjustified utterances, were indeed justifiable. I salute you in all humility and deep reverence, for you have been what I had always believed you to be - my true extended family !!
I wish now to expand on what I had left unfinished yesterday and shall need to bring up visually the article again for ease of reference -
I am taking the liberty of borrowing expressions and words here from those that have responded and say, how could the keepers of the conscience of a nation, the voice of justice and truth, the beacon of integrity, indulge in such an inhumane act, of writing such cruel and wounding lies.
Concocting such lies is utterly unforgivable. How do you Mr Mrs or whatever gender you are, Mumbai Mirror, live after committing such an evil and despicable act. You do not even have the guts to reveal, through a by line who the author of this filth was. Hiding and masquerading under the mask of 'Mumbai Mirror Bureau' you have at least been honest enough here in admitting, what the true qualities of your entire set up are - a bunch of scared and cowardly, difficult to call, humans.
Did you ever even pause to think what it means when you invade the privacy of a woman in such a gross manner ? Did you ever realize the insensitivity of bringing to public gaze, false and vicious speculation on the health, fertility and sexuality of a woman, expressed mercilessly on a page you gloriously title as 'entertainment' ?
You have like vultures picked unsubstantiated matter for cheap exploitative publicity, which has been beyond any form of abuse. How would you react or feel if your own medical records, or those of your 'bureau' inmates, were to be exposed, laced with a load full of invented prurient conditions ?
And what if they were in the category of your own sister, mother or daughter ?
Madam, Ms Meenal Baghel Editor of the Mumbai Mirror,
I write to you concerning your article of Thursday the 18th of February: Pregnant Pause ' Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
I read its content with disbelief and disgust.
You make a series of allegations in the article, reiterated below as follows:
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has contracted tuberculosis of the stomach, a most serious disease
As a consequence of this disease and its treatment, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is unable to conceive and carry a pregnancy, hence bear a child
Amitabh Bachchan wishes for a grandson and is therefore gender prejudiced not only in his discrimination against the girl child, but also against women, in particular their right to be considered a primary heir of a family
I refute these allegations as absolutely and categorically false in every detail.
These allegations you base on the following information:
The opinion of an undisclosed and anonymous intimate friend of the Bachchan family
The mention of tuberculosis on Day 667 of Amitabh Bachchan's Blog, that tuberculosis is known as the 'rich man's disease'
There is no stated source of information for the allegation that Amitabh Bachchan wishes for a grandson
I counter the legitimacy of these sources with the charge of slander with malicious intent. The reasons for this are the following:
The opinion of the undisclosed and anonymous family friend of the Bachchan's is not substantiated or confirmed. At no point has the Mumbai Mirror contacted the family, directly or indirectly, to query this information and verify its accuracy.
The mention of tuberculosis on the Blog has been cut and pasted out of context. There was no reference in the said dated blog to anyone in the Bachchan family having any ailment whatsoever in the context in which tuberculosis was mentioned.
This is the full passage from which your allegation was drawn:
'Getting in the sun, allowing it to play with your senses and taking in the warmth of its affectionate glaze, is a blissful moment that many in the urban metropolises tend to overlook. Or perhaps they never are able to find that open space, that little patch of grass that remains exposed to the elements, begs attention and in a sense, occupation. Our air conditioned and weather protected environs of the home and hearth are insidious. They climatize us for comfort, but destroy us for all else. TB or tuberculosis a once dreaded disease would origin from lack of good care and food and contact from those inflicted with it. It is still a dread in many parts of the world, even in the developed world where substance abuse can be one of the causes of it. But there are moments when even though the affluent world lives in protection and isolation from such bacteria, it has been seen to afflict them as well and is, peculiarly, known as 'the rich mans TB'. Living in enclosed environments and in conditions where there is lack of the fresh air and the exposure to elements, can bring about an infection too.'
The lack of a source for the extremely serious allegation of gender discrimination on the part of Amitabh Bachchan. It is wholly unsubstantiated. I am the UN Representative for the Girl Child in India and work hard for its cause. The 'head' of my family before me was my late mother. The Bachchan family discusses and acts as a collective of equal individuals of equal value and voice.
The unprofessional and slanderous nature of this article in such an esteemed and respected newspaper as the Mumbai Mirror is deeply disturbing. It brings the author of this article into disrepute. It brings the editor that published this article into disrepute. It brings this particular newspaper into disrepute. It brings the profession of journalism into disrepute. This article is in violation of the journalistic norms of conduct as published by the Press Council of India.
Beyond your own disgrace, you have caused grievous distress and harm to the Bachchan family.
You violate the civil right of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to privacy. This right to privacy of the individual is implicit in the right to life and liberty guaranteed to the citizen in Article 21 of the Constitution of India. This right, as you well know, is settled by case law. It is a right to safeguard the privacy of her/his own, her/his family, marriage, procreation, motherhood and child-bearing circumstances, among other things, if they bear not upon the genuine overriding public interest. As it is inarguably the case that the aforementioned article in your newspaper has no value to the public interest, it is therefore illegal to publish anything relating to the above matters without the express consent of the individual concerned, regardless of factual verity. You made neither effort to verify the allegations of the article with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, nor did you seek consent from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan prior to its publication.
Thus the publication of the article is defamatory: it exposes you inter alia to a claim in damages.
I myself claim the right of public response to public allegation. Due to the illicit nature of this slander, I request a retraction and full apology. The full apology comprises
The names of the individual journalist and chief editor
The journalist's and editor's unqualified retraction and refutation of the contents of the article, specifically the three points outlined in the list of allegations above
The apology should be addressed to both Aishwarya Rai Bachchan first and specifically, and also to the Bachchan family in general
The apology is to be printed on the first page of the Entertainment section of the Mumbai Mirror on the same page, in the same size print, and including the signatures of the aforementioned journalist and editor
An immediate donation of a sum of ( AMOUNT to be decided by members of my Extended Family of the Blog ) to a national charitable foundation of your choosing that supports those who suffer from tuberculosis and an article in your newspaper highlighting its work.
Dearest Extended Family,
Members of my immediate family have in the past few hours spoken to the concerned persons in the organization of the Times Group and they have through voice and mobile short message systems apologized for this insensitivity on their part. My own code of conduct and ethics prevents me from disclosing their names, but let me assure you that they were people who mattered in the Times organization. They have accepted their wrong and the pain it has caused us. They asked us to send a letter to them seeking clarification, assuring us that they would publish it verbatim. I post below a copy of the letter we sent signed by Aishwarya. I also post below what they brought out.
Discerning readers will observe how reduced the size of our clarification is. Note, it is our clarification, not theirs. And do note that the last few lines of the letter seeking apology have been conveniently deleted in the print.
Ladies and Gentleman of the extended family jury, I rest my case. I seek justice and I seek your verdict.
With deep anguish and pain ' but with the enormity of my love for you ..
Amitabh Bachchan
ps : may i also state that they even made an 'offer' to do an interview with Aishwarya or any member of the family, where they said we could say whatever we wanted to and they would print it '
ha ha ha ha ha ha '.
Courtesy : http://bigb.bigadda.com/
Needs a public apology..
Mumbai Mirror, you have erred. If you profess to be the keepers of justice and fair play. If you profess to be bound by the ethics of your code of conduct. If you have any respect for your profession '
Apologize !!
I thank all those that have come out in support and understood the seriousness of the horrific reportage in the Mumbai Mirror '
Endless friends and those that we do not know have sent in hundreds of sms's expressing their disgust for the Mumbai Mirror and its callous behavior'
This morning as I got off the plane from Delhi I had a call from the Deputy Commissioner of Police, asking me to call him back. When I did he said -
" Mr Bachchan, I have called to congratulate you on your stand against the Mumbai Mirror. We are Government servants and even though there are many occasions when we wish to express our anguish and ire, we have to restrain ourselves because of the job we hold and respect, but I am so glad that you have said what you did in your blog. This is unpardonable what the paper has done. I just want you to know that I am with you. If there is anything that I can do, let me know."
Abhishek and Aishwarya attended a wedding of a friend last night and the moment they walked in, there was a spontaneous applause from the guests. Then something strange happened. All the guests at the wedding huddled around Abhishek and Aishwarya and started shouting in one voice -
"We are with you !!!"
This has never been seen before and I am thankful to the public and the people for expressing their solidarity to us as a family and to the cause per se.
For all those that do not have access to the Indian press, let me tell you that each one of them, barring of course the Times Group carried contents of the blog and narrated the injustice meted out to us. I thank the saner media for this.
The Hindu for example carried Letters to the Editor and there is a bunch of letters that do not talk about the incident we are involved in but, do express the general feeling for the media in not so generous a manner . Here it is -
Judge for yourself, dearest FmXt. I shall pursue until my due is obtained !!
In all the effort to get what I needed to say about the press article I completely overlooked the event that took place last evening in Delhi.
Your dear friend and fellow member, the writer and originator of this blog, yours truly, was awarded the ParHassi Raja Award by the President of India at a formal ceremony in Rastrapati Bhavan last evening. 'Abhnay Samrat' or its equivalent was presented to me. This award is run by a charitable trust in the name of the first freedom fighter of India against the British from the Malabar, Kerala region. I am deeply honoured and humbled.
My love to you in excess of what you may ever decide to confer on me '
Amitabh Bachchan
Posted in: Others
Ms Menal Baghel you are the Editor of the Mumbai Mirror ..
Ms Menal Baghel you are a woman ..
Ms Menal Baghel your paper has maliciously slandered the modesty of another woman ..
Ms Menal Baghel your paper must apologize !!
Outrage and support builds up every minute for this unethical behavior and I am just so overwhelmed. Yes there are the regulars that show solidarity and concern, but there are some that are alien to the blog, alien to me as an actor, alien to me as a human being, but yet when it comes to the issue at hand, they join hands !
A gentleman writes that he has never liked me as an actor or as a human being, but says in this matter he is together with me. I am deeply touched. Thank you sir !
A respondent from the blog sums it all up. This is Dr Sara from Pakistan -
February 21, 2010 at 1:10 am
me my family n All Pakistani Nation is with U And ur Family Mr. Bachchan.
Pakistan and Pakistanis are supposed to be enemies of Indians. Here a Pakistani is vouching her support on behalf of entire Pakistan.
Jis Ghav par Dushman bhi marham laga dey
Woh ghaav kitna jalim hoga?
In Hindi devnagri the words written are -
??? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ,
There are moments in life when time place and circumstance bring you back nostalgically to reminisce, to look back, to remember moments spent, reliving events of a bygone time, with a gentle smile on your face.
I look into the mirror this evening and notice a similar smile. A smile without reason or cause. It is a smile not pleasant with body or mind, but one that harbors a tinge of melancholy… no that would be too dramatic … not exactly melancholic, but somewhat unexplainable. I feel and sense goodness. I brim over with a peculiar confidence, yet feel labored in admitting it. There is the joy of achievement, accomplishment, but the harshness of irreverence to it by the world and society. Yet when it does get acknowledged the awkward embarrassment of it, leaves you with a wish it almost should not have been there.
A very strange state to be in, if it can be called one.
I have just returned from the Silver Star charity event, for the Mobile Diabetic Unit being presented to me by the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Gordon Brown for my city Mumbai at a rather well attended sit down dinner evening at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London Central. The Prime Minister speaks gloriously of me in his speech and my contribution towards such noble causes. He jokes about how his television audiences at a recent event went out to 4 million people and how the release of my latest film in a few days would reach out to 500 million ! His generous praise makes me wonder what it is that I may have done to receive such accolade from one of the most powerful and important people in today's world. During the photo opportunity with those that have contributed towards the event he has a kind word for everyone. He talks of the diverse cultures that exist in his country and how the Indian community has made such valuable and vast contributions. He acknowledges the rapid manner in which India progresses and looks upon it as a marvel and finally how working together towards a common cause can bring about results that would be the envy of many.
There are diplomatic representatives from several countries, there is distinguished presence of those entrepreneurs that started off small as immigrants to England and through hard work and labor established themselves now as large corporates and vibrant businessmen. There are the affluent in British society that modestly contribute to the evenings proceedings and there are some interesting entertainers that bring a mood change to the evening. And there is Shilpa Shetty and Sanjay Dutt.
Keith Vaz the MP from Leicester is the major domo of the evening. It has been his initiative and drive that runs the charity so efficiently and who has been a true friend over many years.
The Prime Minister comes in and leaves without too much fuss on security and protocol, much like any other visitor for the evening. It is his birthday and a cake and a single candle is brought along. As a group of entertainers breaks out into the 'birthday' ditty, he covers a self conscience smile with words on his sons. They would have been happy to have been here he remarks and obligingly cuts the cake bearing the front door and address of the official residence 10, Downing Street among the icing on top.
The Royal Lancaster Hotel, venue for the event. Royal Lancaster Hotel, our accommodation during the shooting of the climax of 'Dostana', Zeenat Aman, Shatrughan Sinha, Salim-Javed, Dharma productions, Yash Johar, all come alive suddenly. And my parents, both here with me for a holiday that I have brought them along for. Their room down the corridor on the far end from mine. All their friends and relatives coming by during the day to meet them. Students from his time of teaching in the Allahabad University now settled here in lucrative jobs. Milap Mausi ji, my Mother's elder sister from Jullunder, now living here with her sons and my cousins, the Sikh side of my blood. The shootings every day at a remote airfield. Stunts on helicopters and cars, a huge novelty then. Make up trailer vans on location, a luxury then now a common necessity and visits in the night after pack up to the newest disco place on a roof top surrounded by green planters and owned jointly by an Indian gentleman who had spent most of his life in Europe, having left his home in either Bihar or UP. I had met him in Calcutta, now Kolkata when he had walked into the office I worked in, Blacker & Co on some work. I remembered him because of the peculiar way he spoke Hindi. The tone Bihari but with large dosages of French and German accents. Unique.
The drives around London in common friend Khalid's Rolls Royce - such a kick, picking up many young lot studying in London ; Tony Jethmalani son of the eminent lawyer and legal luminary Ram Jethmalani, being one of them. Hanging from helicopters in the day, hanging at disco at night. It was the late 70's. Life was still carefree and without stress. And when the shoot was over, accompanying Prakash Mehra from London to USA for the very first time. Canada, New York, Los Angeles .. heady days !! NRI's in masses at cinema theatre's where I was taken to show my face, by distributors of our film. Marketing at its initial stages !! Now a very refined art. System is the same, its presentation different. The hordes at a down town cinema hall in LA and my first meeting with the effervescent Kirit Trivedi who rescued me from the clothes tearing, hair snatching ladies pouring all over as I am pushed out from the aisles by security, in some haste - Kirit screaming expletives and guiding me in hectic pace to a white Rolls, dumping me in and taking off at the speed of knots virtually on two wheels, up the wrong side of the road !!! From that day on Kirit became a part of us and still is. Concert concepts, events, unique ideas all came from him. My very first stage concert, the world tour in 1981 and 1983 all his baby and all forming the origins of events for stars on a global level now.
Ahhh… !! Those were the days !! The energy and the excitement and the thrills of those unimaginable moments. Never to be seen again and never ever recreated till today. The frenzy and madness and the constant inventiveness of each day as we went along from city to city. Never before, never again !!
Ironically one of our tours was called 'Now or Never' !!
So much to say and so little the time !! Time now to say good night and with wishes for the Big B Group and the FmXt that trooped in to the Hotel this afternoon to devour some quality moments … thank you for spending time with me … love you …
And before we go -
Mumbai Mirror Apologize !!!
Mumbai Mirror Apologise !!!
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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