That Amitabh Bachchan is a national icon is stating the obvious. His fan club is also as eclectic as fan clubs can be. Just consider the turnout for a pen launch at the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, on Tuesday evening. Politicos, artists, industrialists, society women, everybody wanted a glimpse of the man.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was there, as were artists Satish Gujral and wife Kiran, Paresh Maity and wife Jayasri Burman, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Laila Khan Rajpal, and Rajiv Shukla and his wife Anuradha.
With no standing room available, and in the absence of chairs, waiting for Big B was tiring for many. Those who were waiting for a reading of Madhushala (as promised by the organisers), went home disappointed.
Won’t Bachchan’s furious endorsement of everything from colas to hair oil dilute the impact of his latest pen ads? No, says Luxor director Pooja Jain. “He is tremendously versatile. His intellect and wit have a great brand fit with high-end pens.” If another sales pitch is what Amitabh acolytes want, let it B.