Several delicatessens at some of Mumbai's most prestigious addresses have been a hive of activity since the second last week of June. Their staff have been on their feet way past closing hours churning tray after tray of colourful North Indian sweetmeats.
As the poor workers toil away, the proprietors of these establishments who count the rich and famous among their clientele, are smacking their lips with glee. As savvy businessmen they have anticipated such an event years in advance, and have stocked up on all the sugar and dough required. They are seeing big money and from a very "Big" man at that! Known in film circles and by his adoring fans as Big B.
Big B is about to become a grandpa for the third time. He has two grandchildren by daughter Shweta Nanda. But by all appearances, one could be mistaken for thinking that it's happening for the very first time. On June 21, the Bachchan family doyen tweeted to the world:
"NEWS NEWS NEWS !! I AM GOING TO BECOME A GRANDFATHER..AISHWARYA EXPECTING..SO HAPPY AND THRILLED!!!,"
Bachchan's enthusiasm however is not merely because he longs to hear the patter of little feet in Jalsa, his Mumbai home. The root of his ecstatic tweet has dynastic significance: "Now cometh the progeny of my son that shall bear the surname Bachchan - the first in this generation...", he said.
The Bachchans - Amitabh, his wife Jaya, Aishwarya and Abhishek are Bollywood's undisputed "first family". One wonders if he harbours hopes of seeing future generations of Bachchans dominating the Bollywood scene in decades to come, the way the Kapoor family has.
When Amitabh first met Aishwarya years ago, he raved about her beauty and reportedly said he would have married her if he were younger. Some years later Bollywood was taken by surprise when Aishwarya and Abhishek wed after a brief courtship.
Well if Big B can't marry Aishwarya, at the very least he can have her "good" genes running through future generations of Bachchans. At this point I'm having visions of Amitabh dressed in animal skins with a club over his shoulder non unlike our Neanderthal ancestors.
I'm sure that if Amitabh had his way, he would have delivered that ecstatic tweet to the world years ago. But instead he had to sit back and watch as his famous daughter in-law starred in movie after movie with no sign of a visit from the stork.
I'm no fan of Aishwarya's. In my opinion her acting is just ok and she certainly doesn't qualify as a style icon. But she is a looker and has made the successful transition from beauty queen to actress. Workwise she has gone where no other Bollywood actress has. The list of movies she has starred in and her popularity beyond the narrow confines of Mumbai's movie world speaks for itself.
In short Aishwarya is sort of India's ambassador to the world. Even Big B can't compete with her in that respect. I mean like how many non-Indian origin films has he acted in? So what amazes me is that Aishwarya for all her achievements is still expected to conform to the traditional role of child bearer, the one who has to produce an heir to ensure the continuation of a dynasty.
Now I'm not saying that successful women should not have kids or anything. But if they choose to, it should be because they want to. It's great that Aishwarya and Abhishek are having a baby and starting a family. But this whole progeny thing, bearing the surname Bachchan.....I mean in which century does Amitabh live in?
One wonders if he will hold out the squalling kid for all his adoring fans to admire the way Simba did in the Lion King. Well one thing for sure, all the sweetmakers in Mumbai will be very busy come November!
As the poor workers toil away, the proprietors of these establishments who count the rich and famous among their clientele, are smacking their lips with glee. As savvy businessmen they have anticipated such an event years in advance, and have stocked up on all the sugar and dough required. They are seeing big money and from a very "Big" man at that! Known in film circles and by his adoring fans as Big B.
Big B is about to become a grandpa for the third time. He has two grandchildren by daughter Shweta Nanda. But by all appearances, one could be mistaken for thinking that it's happening for the very first time. On June 21, the Bachchan family doyen tweeted to the world:
"NEWS NEWS NEWS !! I AM GOING TO BECOME A GRANDFATHER..AISHWARYA EXPECTING..SO HAPPY AND THRILLED!!!,"
Bachchan's enthusiasm however is not merely because he longs to hear the patter of little feet in Jalsa, his Mumbai home. The root of his ecstatic tweet has dynastic significance: "Now cometh the progeny of my son that shall bear the surname Bachchan - the first in this generation...", he said.
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| Pic courtesy of zimbio.com |
When Amitabh first met Aishwarya years ago, he raved about her beauty and reportedly said he would have married her if he were younger. Some years later Bollywood was taken by surprise when Aishwarya and Abhishek wed after a brief courtship.
Well if Big B can't marry Aishwarya, at the very least he can have her "good" genes running through future generations of Bachchans. At this point I'm having visions of Amitabh dressed in animal skins with a club over his shoulder non unlike our Neanderthal ancestors.
I'm sure that if Amitabh had his way, he would have delivered that ecstatic tweet to the world years ago. But instead he had to sit back and watch as his famous daughter in-law starred in movie after movie with no sign of a visit from the stork.
I'm no fan of Aishwarya's. In my opinion her acting is just ok and she certainly doesn't qualify as a style icon. But she is a looker and has made the successful transition from beauty queen to actress. Workwise she has gone where no other Bollywood actress has. The list of movies she has starred in and her popularity beyond the narrow confines of Mumbai's movie world speaks for itself.
 |
| Pic courtesy of weheartit.com |
Now I'm not saying that successful women should not have kids or anything. But if they choose to, it should be because they want to. It's great that Aishwarya and Abhishek are having a baby and starting a family. But this whole progeny thing, bearing the surname Bachchan.....I mean in which century does Amitabh live in?
One wonders if he will hold out the squalling kid for all his adoring fans to admire the way Simba did in the Lion King. Well one thing for sure, all the sweetmakers in Mumbai will be very busy come November!
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