Poetry and Poems

In March 1998, one evening while his father was admitted to the ICU of Breach Candy Hospital, Amitabh Bachchan recited Hindi poems by Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan before a distinguished audience for the British Council. Big B, was nervous because this was one of the first times he was doing this publicly. But it went down well. And early next morning, charged by the experience, he returned to the hospital to find his father propped up in bed waiting expectantly. How did it go, Dr. Harivansh Rai inquired. Good is what you Amitabh replied and he actually recited his fathers poems one by one in the ICU. Dr. Harivansh Rai listened attentively. When the Big B had finished, he said, Thank-you, now when am I going home? Dr. Farokh Udwadia discharged him the same morning.

It is 12 years since then, and Dr. Harivansh Rai is no more, but Amitabh Bachchan has taken his fathers poems to discerning and appreciative audiences far and wide. On Monday evening, at the Bandra Fort, he will do so again, this time for Aman Ki Asha — the Indo-Pak peace initiative by Times of India and the Jang Group of Pakistan. Sharing the stage with him will be Zia Mohyeddin, a Pakistani actor and international celebrity of distinct fame, who will read out Urdu poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz — as eminent a poet in Pakistan as was Dr. Harivansh Rai in India. The special evening gets underway by 6.30 pm, entry is by invitation only, and Amitabh Bachchan is looking at doing five or six of his fathers poems.

Amitabh said that It would be sufficient keeping in mind that there is the other side as well. Some of the poems he knows by heart, most of the others he intends to read and recite. He finds it difficult to pick a favourite from among his fathers incredible expanse of work through almost 60 years. But hopefully on Monday there shall be some that I shall recite that will remain my perennial favourites, he said. Is there a place for poetry in todays world, I asked. I strongly believe there is, the Big B replied, I experience it all the time. It may seem like a dormant activity, but it is very evident in all that I have experienced through various references in my blog, at symposiums and in general discussion. However, hes not very familiar with Faiz Ahmed Faizs poems. My father was, he added, and if I am not too wrong in remembering this — age does this to you — I attended a poetic symposium organised by the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi at the High Commissioners residence, perhaps in the late 50s or early 60s, where Faiz saheb and my father both recited.

The Bachchans have a connect to Pakistan through his mother, Teji Bachchans family, but Amitabh Bachchan does not know if Dr. Harivansh Rai has fans across the border. My mother was a Sikh from Llyalpur in erstwhile Panjab, now Pakistan. She studied and spent much of her formative years in Lahore and met my father at a common friends place over a poetry recitation, explained the Big B. I cannot say now whether there are lovers of my fathers poetry in Pakistan, but there were at the time my parents met.

Given this lineage, Amitabh Bachchan is naturally pleased to be part of Aman Ki Asha. Aman means peace, Asha means hope, I refuse to believe that any civilised society would not accept the concept of peace and hope for its achievement, he said. The media is the conscience and the voice of the people. When two prominent media institutions initiate Aman Ki Asha the hope really is that their voices would be heard. I like the use of the words Aman and Asha — the former in Urdu, the latter Hindi. Symbolically they look good together.

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