Bollywood star Amitabh Bachhan has asked questions from his film directory in tele serial ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. There is hardly any Bollywood film star whom he has not met. Out of 46 international film festivals of India (IFFI) held in Goa over the past few years, he has attended 44. After attending the 46th international film festival, this Indore-based 79-year-old came to Haridwar on Friday.
Fondly called as BBC amongst Bollywood people, Brij Bhushan Chaturvedi has been coming to the holy city for the past many decades. He has fascination for Ganga and comes for holy dip every year, sometimes twice a year. On his recent visit, BBC shared with The Pioneer his experiences as a film review writer.
Brij Bhushan said, “I started watching film festival since 1952. Pandit Nehru had initiated this festival in Mumbai. I was 17 year old when I first watched this festival. It was free of any charge then.” Highlighting the changes in the trend of the festival, Brij Bhushan said, “Earlier till 90’s, eminent producers, directors and actors used to come to this international festival, but over the past few years it has become a commercial platform. Many script writers used to get ideas after watching the movies in this festival which showcases hundreds of movies during a period of 11 days. Artists like Naseerudin Shah and others have claimed they had drawn inspiration from these festivals. This time it was Hollywood people but hardly Bollywood amongst the audience.” Stating the probable reason, Bhushan says the Indians want facilities which they feel are lacking at such festivals.
Having released Suchitra film directories year after year, Bhushan is ready with this year’s 41st issue of the directory with 40 issues having been printed over the past 50 years. Suchitra film directory contains information about Indian cinema on various aspects and is a handy guide for researchers on Indian films. “Badey bhai Amitabh Bachan has asked questions from this directory,” he said.
Speaking of his tricky name, Chaturvedi says, “My name was coined by Ramanand Sagar, well known producer/ director of his times. I had gone with a friend of mine to Gemini and AVM production sets (which are closed now) in Madras. Story writers Watson and Morgan did not know Hindi. When I introduced myself, Watson commented that it was a very lengthy name to which Sagar Sahib suggested to take the initials BBC.” Showing his photographs with his old friends, BBC got lost in his old memories.
Still fascinated by the review writing of films, BBC works 16 hours a day and travels extensively. Asked where he draws his energy from, the writer says, “I am the happiest man in this world. I never tell lies and lead a simple life. Ganga is my source of energy.”