 
Although one is sure that it’s not a planned move, what’s this whole thing about journalists becoming self-styled Gods and ‘condoning’ Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘misjudgement’ to act in Boom, by commenting that, ‘He looks visibly embarrassed’ or that ‘He is ill at ease in such a vulgar enterprise’.
Frankly, why should the superstar ‘look’ visibly embarrassed or ill at ease when he himself agreed to act in the film. It is not as if Amitabh was forced at gun-point to be a part of the film or that he did it for the love of his colleague, Jackie Shroff.
For, had he done it out of concern for Jackie, whose wife Ayesha Shroff is the film’s producer, he wouldn’t have dragged her to court for the payment of his balance remuneration. Which means, he treated Boom just like any other film of his.
Besides, it is difficult to imagine that the superstar signed the film without knowing what it was about or without having read the script or even his dialogue laced with obscene innuendoes and unmentionables. He never does that, so why would he have done it in the case of Boom. And if he knew that he’d have to mouth such dialogue, why try to condone his act as one which has embarrassed him!
Besides, mediamen trying to play down the whole issue (from Amitabh’s point of view) by saying that he was not at ease in those scenes, are only indirectly saying that he couldn’t camouflage his feelings before the cameras. Which is akin to saying that the guy is not a good actor! Now, that’s not what the sycophant journalists themselves must have set out to prove when they wanted to cover up what they themselves thought was an error of judgement on his part.
What’s worse is that people are presuming all this about Amitabh while the actor himself has never said that he was embarrassed to be a part of the film or any such thing. Why, when the film’s release was postponed a number of times, the rumour doing the rounds of trade circles was that Amitabh had offered Ayesha Shroff Rs. 5 crore as compensation for not releasing the film, which he thought would be an embarrassment to him when released! Of course, all this talk was a figment of some really, really wild imagination.
So while it’s certain that Amitabh was not the least abashed about Boom, the actor did discompose his umpteen fans. He has come in for severe criticism from cinegoers for having been a part of the enterprise variously described by them as obscene, vulgar, demeaning, base, horrendous and what not!
Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover and Jaaved Jafferi acting in a film like Boom was still acceptable to them, but Bachchan?! People are also wondering what makes Amitabh say “yes” to any and every film that comes his way. In a recent interview, the superstar, cornered with a question about his numerous assignments, said something to the effect that he had to keep working hard as he had a family to support.
How romantic! If Bachchan thought, he was joking, well, it wasn’t the best joke. And if he believed that people would buy his story, well, he was underestimating the intelligence of those who almost worship him. The fact is that Amitabh seems to be in a hurry to make as much money as he can. Why? Only he can answer that one - provided he decides to be honest and forthcoming or to be serious, at least!
India Syndicate
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