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Pukaar - The Call Of Destiny

March 27th, 2007 by shetty

By Ali Peter John⁠

It was some time towards the end of 1984, almost during Christmas time. The world was alright. Nothing major was happening to change the world, something I have been expecting ever since I have been a part of this world. Yes, the earth shook up like some one said when Mrs. Indira Gandhi was assassinated, thousands were butchered in the streets in different parts of the country and a young, inexperienced in politics but an expert pilot with Indian Airlines was forced by circumstances to take over as the Prime Minister of India. The rest of the world just went on. But I personally remember a happening during those times, something I can never forget in this life and if there are any other lives after this life. â€¦

Amitabh Bachchan had just fought a very grave and grim battle with death and had survived to prove that God is still there, that God was with him and he returned like a miracle and started shooting for Manmohan Desai's (who can forget a man like Manmohan Desai?) "Coolie" on the sets of which he had his brush with death. Soon after finishing shooting for "Coolie", he had started shooting for a film called "Pukaar". I was there when the shooting of the film was in full progress in Goa. I had never seen the people of Goa who are fun loving people going as crazy as they did when they saw Amitabh Bachchan, the only Indian actor whose name made some impact on this "Country" (a majority of them still believe that Goa is not a part of India but a world of its own with its own traditions, culture and values). I remember how I saw the people of Goa changing during all the ways that the re-born Amitabh Bachchan was shooting in the land of their ancestors. The face of Goa changed as long as the light (Amitabh) was in Goa and he was there for quite some time because he had to finish whatever work was left in "Pukaar" being made by Ramesh Behl, one of the best known names in the industry and a very close friend of the Bachchan family. I remember many things abut that shooting. I remember the massive crowds, some times giving me the feeling as if Goa had gone on a long holiday only to watch Amitabh shooting. But what I remember very vividly is something I was reminded of again during my recent visit to Goa.

I remember the time when Ramesh Behl, Amitabh and Randhir Kapoor who was playing one of the leading roles realised how they were missing their families and how life was getting very boring without them. Ramesh immediately made arrangements for their families to be flown down to Goa. Soon Amitabh was joined by his wife, Jaya and their two children, Shweta and Abishekh. Ramesh was with his wife, Madhu and children, Goldie and Shrishti and Randhir with his wife, Babita and their two daughters Karisma and Kareena. Zeenat Aman was in a world of her own and Tina Munim was in a now in and now out of love situation. They all had the time of their lives. Goa gave them a feeling of paradise while they were there, all of them as one family.

It is more than 23 years now and look at how time, history and destiny have taken certain major decisions. I remember the flight on which I was returning to the only city I love, Bombay now called Mumbai. The families of Ramesh and Amitabh and Jaya were on the same flight and the little ones were getting out of control, full of excitement like all children of their age could or would. It was on this flight that destiny, I think, had taken some vital decision which the family were blissfully unaware of.

Ramesh Behl, God's good man is no more but has left memories which are still treasured by people who knew him and work for him. Today Ramesh's children are Goldie Behl, an ambitious young producer-director who is making his own serial and films. Shrishti could have been a great actress in a place on high but she gave it all up for her love for Sameer Arya, a brilliant young cinematographer- son of Ishan Arya, a cinematographer who had said new trends in cinematography and Subharar- a pillar of Hindi theatre. Tina Munim is Mrs. Tina Ambani, the wife of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (what more can I say about her?) Zeenat had her own ups and down and finally married a struggling actor, Mazhar Khan, who died very young leaving Zeenat to lead a life of her own with her two growing up sons. Randhir and Babita went in for a separation. Their daughters, Karisma and Kareena have grown into two of the most popular stars and Karishma is now a mother of a daughter, Samaira and is almost out of films before her time. And look at what the children of Amitabh and Jaya. Shweta is Mrs. Shweta Nanda now, married into one of the most influential business families in the country. And what can I or any one say about Abhishek. He is the rocking and ruling star of today showing great signs of making it as a very big name as an actor in the future. He was once supposed to marry his childhood friend, Karisma but things did not work out and he may now marry his co-star of several films, Aishwarya Rai anytime in the next few weeks. Incidentally, Goldie, Abhishek's friend who was there in Goa twenty-four years ago is directing Abhishek and Aishwarya in one of the most ambitious films be made today, "Drona". Mrs. Jaya Bachchan is one of the leading parliamentarians who fights for all the right causes and acts in one or two films in which she makes all the difference. Amitabh's father, Dr. Hariwanshrai Bachchan who was at his peak twenty-four years ago is now part of history and his mother, Mrs. Teji Bachchan is lying critically ill in a hospital in Mumbai with almost no life left in her. But the one man who has stood all the storms of life, even battled with death a second time and has risen to grow into the star and the man of the millennium is still as active, as alert and on the go all the time. All time can do to him is give him a grey beard, otherwise the strides he takes can even give time a run for all its value which is worth much more than all the money in the world. Destiny has its own way of dealing with men and matters and no one can know or will know how and why it takes the decisions it takes without caring about what man thinks about its decisions.

http://www.naachgaana.com/2007/03/27/2902/

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