Smoking Guns

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsSo Bachchan saheb has apologised, posters of him smoking in the Hindi flick Family withdrawn and the crusaders of the world are quiet and smiling now. Happy? Well if you want to be. Must be awesome to have the superstar of the millennium write an apology, admitting in public that he made a mistake. And what a mistake! A cigar gingerly hanging from his now aged fingers. That must be sinful. Considering Bachchan himself was just suggesting he was going to smoke it. If memories can be jogged... haven't other bigwigs in the world educated us on others jobs that the cigar can be used for... (remember President Clinton anyone?) But smoking a cigar is surely more harmful than just that. So why musn't we fret and make it a national debate, bring down roofs crying foul over how Bachchan has betrayed the cause of humankind and mislead the millions who adore him.
Nothing could be more important than buzzing the corridors of the judiciary and putting the star in the dock. How dare he? So let's get him down on his knees.
But I am still wondering why. If I was Bachchan saheb and a responsible citizen of the country would I really have signed in an apology? For now, I, the self-confessed die-hard Bachchan fan who in this lifetime should manage writing a Bachchannama will say a resounding NO. I wouldn't because it's not my business to tamper with the nuances of a film character. And if a character I essay in a film, smokes, then, sorry, he just does. And I will not apologise for doing my job right.
Besides I am also forced to wonder... would I really be more bothered about Bachchan smoking or Bachchan threatening to kill. Did the crusaders in the world really miss the other posters from the same film Family where a rather menacing looking Bachchan is holding a gun in his hand?
If I really was bothered about how Generation Next will react to Bachchan's antics would I really not try doing something about him playing with guns? If Bachchan really is the icon that we make him out to be and has the power to determine what people might be doing in their real lives... would guns not be a bigger threat to the health of the social fabric of the country than smoking.
Fine. Smoking kills. And we really can't make it out to be a `cool dude thing' Smoking REALLY kills. And all who need to know must try everything possible to stay away from it. But then again are we not going to priortise and choose our battles? Bachchan must not promote smoking. But was he really? In that one poster of his forthcoming film? I think otherwise. Perhaps Bachchan had little idea of which frame from his film would be used for the promos. Perhaps he also knew little about how the rest of the world would react to it. Bachchan, I am sure like most of us would not want to lead the world to something of a community slow death. And for what he has done, he has apologised. Arguments I guess will take a lifetime to die.
But what has happened in this jingoism... to my utter loss... is we will not get to see Bachchan's poster smoking his cigar... where I bet he's looked his hottest. Can anyone get me a copy???

first published:January 13, 2006, 15:28 ISTlast updated:January 13, 2006, 15:28 IST
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