MUMBAI, March 13: Amitabh Bachchan's Holi bash at his Juhu residence created contrasting chaos today. Outside, the sidewalks were jammed with star-struck gapers and onlookers. Unmindful of the noon-time scorching heat, they surged after each car, enveloping Bollywood bigwigs as they stepped out.Inside, it was an entirHindi film has ever done -- it played the role of the great leveller.
Distance and difference melted fluidly as heroes mingled with villains and Cartier perfumes with Calvin Kleins. In no time, the guests were transformed into incoherent works of modern art and the entire lawn of Bachchan's bungalow a continuous sea of colour.
Around 200 people turned up for the party. Among them was Amar Singh, the Samajwadi Party leader taking a break from the turmoils in Delhi. And extending the rainbow all around were celebs like Prem Chopra, Manisha Koirala, Saif Ali Khan, Nitin Mukesh, Anu Malik, Kiron Kher, Danny, Parikshat Sahni, Gulshan Grover, Chandrachud Singh...the list was a comprehensiveWho's Who of Bollywood.
Three bands took turns in creating a non-stop hypnotic beat of drums and cymbals louder than the blaring Bose speakers in a corner. A mandal was erected for the bandwalas to rest in between. Bhaang and rang were in surplus, as was a wide variety of liquor. Stoves simmered with a gourmet's delight of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
And bang in the middle of the lawn, was a strange sight. Defying laws of Physics and Botany, was a fountain-shaped platform of a height of around 15 feet, from which emerged tree trunks seemingly out of nowhere. Below it were the holi wells -- four drums from which everyone could draw the holi water. But Danny took it upon himself to climb up on the platform to conduct free whistling, howling and clapping classes. Soon star-kids joined him. But they were besieged by a dozen odd knights armed with pichkaris, water hoses and mugs, who deluged them with a steady downpour. Ultimately Danny had to climb down from his high-platform.
Bachchan's son,Abhishek, was the prankster on the prowl. His modus operandi was to go up to an unsuspecting victim and strike up a conversation with him. In the meantime, his friends would come from behind, grab the prey and carry him to a corner. There, the airborne victim would find himself seaborne in a tank of coloured water.
Elsewhere children were running around with pichkaris and balloons -- some of which simply refused to burst. A couple of kids came over-equipped for the occasion -- carrying tanks on their backs with a pipe connecting it to the `gun', and with enough water to fill an ocean. Even Jaya Bachchan was spotted chasing the guests, mercifully, with a regular pichkari.
But the person who stole the thunder was Big B himself. It was deja vu time with Bachchan dancing more energetically than he did even in the Rang Barse song from Silsila. He led the way around the lawn and the band followed willingly. Soon the procession had enlisted the enthusiastic support of the stars, some of who joined the fray whileothers cheered from a distance.
And for those who did not like the colour combination their clothes and faces had taken on, there was a shower to drain away the hues and free the guests to try out new colour schemes.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
