It won't be an understatement to say that Amitabh Bachchan at present is virtually in the eye of the storm. Umpteen controversies are plaguing this living legend and his family
Waning glory
For the common man Amitabh Bachchan is an icon. He has conquered almost everything which many can only dream of money, fame, success, love, adulation, popularity.
Yet today controversy's ugly head has emerged to plague the mega–star and tattoo just post the grand wedding hype of Ash and Abhishek. The wedding invitation fiasco is now taking its toll on the legend. Today, Mr. Bachchan is completely alienated from his peers. The industry, which stood with him through thick and thin and made Amitabh what he is today, seems to have turned its back on him. His immense goodwill and overwhelming clout in the industry is now waning!
Son's paying the price?
Like any other father Amitabh too wants to see his son achieve great success. And if Abhishek's last film Guru is anything to go by, he's probably on his way to success. But by being a bit too vocal about Abhishek's achievements and allegedly criticizing some of Abhi's costars (whom he thinks got more admiration than they ought to in comparison to Abhi), Amitabh has upset many names in the industry, who perhaps have achieved a little more than what his son has so far. There is also a certain section within the film fraternity who apparently believes that Amitabh's so called magnanimity takes the backseat when either his or his son's interests are at stake; he's the last man to compromise on anything then. And the results are evident now. Today many of the top stars reportedly don't even want to share screenspace with the junior Bachchan.
The Karan Johar project
That Abhi and Ash make a hot pair is a well-accepted fact. And many filmmakers in the industry want to cash in on their couple status by signing them for their projects. Karan Johar is one of them.
Despite being close to Shah Rukh Khan (Amitabh's arch rival), Karan throughout has maintained his rapport with the Bachchans — he worships Mr. Bachchan and grew up with Abhishek. So when buddy Abhishek got married, Karan not only attended the event but even choreographed the Sangeet (in which Abhishek, Aishwarya, Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan danced on the eve of the wedding).
Now wedding over, Karan announced his desire to cast Aishwarya and Abhishek in one of his projects. But the problem began when Shah Rukh Khan (who has been in every Dharma Productions venture since Karan's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hain) put his foot down. He allegedly made it clear to Karan that he would have nothing to do with his dearest friend's dream project if Abhi-Ash were a part of it.
Saif follows suit
So after SRK when Karan turned to Saif Ali Khan he too allegedly refused to be a party to his scheme of things. Apart from Abhi-Ash, chote nawab apparently has one more reason to turn down Karan's offer. Despite delivering a hit in Kal Ho Naa Ho (Karan Johar project) with SRK, Karan didn't feature him in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, and rather went ahead to give Abhi a key role in the film. Saif seems to have not gotten over that fact as yet.
Hrithik no exception
When Hrithik stole the thunder from Abhishek in Dhoom 2, the latter's father was allegedly upset to read the negative reviews about his son's performance and voiced his dissatisfaction regarding the same. The Bachchan clan is also said to be instrumental in influencing Yash Raj Films to chuck out the Hrithik-Aishwarya kiss scene in the film.
What's more, despite being good friends with Abhishek since childhood, Hrithik's name was unceremoniously kept out of the Abhi's wedding invitation list when some of his other friends (read Uday Chopra, Karan Johar, Goldie Behl and Sikander Kher) made it to the event.
If these were not all, now we hear that Abhi's next project, Goldi Behl's Drona, is aimed at toppling Hrithik by overshadowing his heroic acts in Krrish. Apparently the Bachchan's have pumped in a lot of money in the project to ensure that this time around Abhi manages to take a step ahead of his friend-turned-contender.
So after all these happenings do you still expect Hrithik to be a part of Karan Johar-proposed Ash-Abhi dream project?
So, having missed out on SRK, Saif and Hrithik, Karan has just two more big names —Aamir Khan and Salman Khan whom he could have roped in for his project. But he can neither ask Aamir or Salman to be a part of it. And no prizes for guessing the reasons why!
But Karan knows you can't make a Hindi film on an island. You have to be a part of the industry. So, for the time being, the director is stuck and so is his dream project.
Political gambit
If grappling with enraged industrywallahs was not all, Amitabh and family now have political powers to deal with. The Bachchans have invited the wrath of new Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati for siding with her arch-rivals Mulayam Singh Yadav (ex chief minister and leader of the Samajwadi Party) and Amar Singh. The Congress party too is not very happy with the Bachchans. Congressmen won't miss a chance to hit out at Amitabh Bachchan for supporting Sonia Gandhi's rivals.
What's more, the Bachchans, if sources are to be believed, by not using the occasion of Ash-Abhi marriage to mend their relations with Sonia Gandhi (with whom Big B and his family have been estranged for some years now), has hit the last nail in the coffin.
Murky land deal?
The repercussions of the political bickering are slowly assuming new proportions for Big B! His 20,000 square feet of agricultural land in Daulatpur village of Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh that had been allotted to Bachchan by the UP government in 1983, has now come under the court scanner.
The court in its ruling had observed that the entry in the land records declaring Bachchan as the owner of the plot was tampered and forged. Amitabh had allegedly been shown as a farmer in the deal record. And this was reportedly done to facilitate acquisition of another 24 acres of agricultural land at Maval near Pune, Maharashtra. As per the Agricultural Land Act (1963) of Maharashtra state, only farmers are entitled to buy agricultural land in the state and hence the move to show Big B as a farmer.
Amitabh, however, has now approached the Allahabad High Court (UP) in connection with this case.
Jaya's at the receiving end
Now the so called discrepancy in the land deal is proving to be a major stumbling block for Jaya Bachchan's political career. A magisterial probe has reportedly found that Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan did not reveal land properties in her affidavit at the time of filing her nomination for the Rajya Sabha last year. And if found guilty, she might endanger her membership to the Upper House of the parliament as well.
Wary Amitabh
Having already burnt his fingers once in the infamous Bofors kick-back case (during friend Rajiv Gandhi's premiership period), Amitabh certainly is aware of the legal hassles involved in such issues. And at the same time, being an ex Member of Parliament himself, he's not new to politics and knows for sure that making enemies in political circles is nothing short of inviting trouble.
Bottom-line:
Irrespective of all the achievements and adoration he has earned for himself over the years, Amitabh Bachchan's reputation in the industry and his image in the public eye seems to be rather precarious today.
By design or unwittingly, his actions have upset many a soul in Bollywood as well as the political arena. And it is sad that away from the camera's gaze, Big B today cuts a forlorn figure who's flustered with troubles unbound!
Big B, Abhishek, Ash had a blast at French Open
THE NEWLY married Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, accompanied by Amitabh Bachchan, were seen having the time of their lives at the French Open in Paris.
'We're here because Aishwarya is the Longines ambassador. And they're the official time keeper of Roland Garros 2007,' Amitabh told IANS. Jaya Bachchan couldn't join them as she stayed back to look after her critically ill mother-in-law.
After watching the match on Tuesday, on the next day the trio flew down to Yorkshire to attend the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards.
Back home Amitabh has another release coming up this Friday.
'I've done the voiceover in Ganesh Acharya's directorial debut 'Swami'. He asked me to do it some time ago, and I happily did. Ganesh has been my choreographer in several films. I did it as a friendly gesture,' said the Big B.
'Swami' is the emotional journey of a couple played by Juhi Chawla and Manoj Bajpai.
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