Abhishek Bachchan escapes Delhi blast due to traffic jam

A traffic snarl proved providential for Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who decided to turn back just as he was nearing Connaught Place to attend a function there Saturday evening - minutes before two blasts shook the area.

His father, Amitabh Bachchan, wrote on his blog, "Shattered and shocked he called to say he was alright."

"Abhishek had left in the afternoon for New Delhi and was on his way to Connaught Place for a function he had to attend. Minutes away from there, the traffic became a snarl and he knew he would not make it in time so he asked to turn back. And the blast happened just then," Amitabh wrote on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com on Sunday.

Abhishek was here as part of a media promotional event and to shoot for the last scenes of his "Dilli 6". However, he had to cancel his programme after the blast, considering the gravity of the situation, his father wrote.

"He was just not able to conduct them (activities). Cancelled them. It would have been too insensitive," he wrote.

The veteran actor revealed that his son has left a decision on whether to continue the shooting to the producers.

"He has left the decision to the producers. Cancelling would be interpreted as succumbing to the threat. I wonder what they decide."

Amitabh also expressed his grief for the victims of Saturday's serial blasts.

"Jaya and I sit alone in the house, our hearts still with the tragedy in Delhi. What of those who bore the brunt - innocent unaware and victims."

"We live in difficult times. What kind of an environment are we leaving behind for our next generation? Or do we not concern ourselves with that? We need peace and harmony," he concluded.

The serial blasts - two each in Connaught Place and Greater Kailash M-Block market and one in Gaffar Market - left 23 people dead and around 100 injured.

Top 6 stars of Bollywood B.O

It is time to go beyond proclamations, claims, retorts and diatribe. The BO burrow is where all false gods falter, every Friday. Friday, Fly-day or Fry-day..? It depends on which end of the Six Pack chart you are!
 
B.O. Hall of Fame: 'Singh is Kinng' and 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' have been declared superhits and have been given a place of honour, above the 6-pack chart.

1. Amitabh Bachchan: To B or not to B!

In 'The Last Lear', it is the Big B, all the way. He nourishes the movie and builds it up to a point where it is hard to distinguish the actor from the subject. Well, that has always been the USP of Amitabh Bachchan. 'The Last Lear' will go down in the Bachchan resume as one of his best performances to date!

 

Directed by Rituparno Ghosh, 'The Last Lear'is the celebration of a larger-than-life personality who is consumed by his art.

 

Says Deepa Gahlot: ''There comes a time in an actor's career when he gets a role that his whole career seems to have led towards, and 'The Last Lear' is that watershed in Amitabh Bachchan's career. Only he could have played the part of a crotchety old Shakespearean actor, contemptuous of the world of films and modern life balancing the theatricality of the character with an unmissable poignancy. And what a voice, what delivery and what an imposing presence.''

 

There was lot of pre-release publicity for this Amitabh Bachchan movie, thanks to MNS jingoism, but it has not exactly set the cash registers ringing, in the first week. The B.O. reports do not boast of a good opening.

Saif Ali Khan in his new Sardar get-up

The turban is slowly and surely finding its way with our very own Bollywood actors. After Akshay Kumar's super-duper sardar act in the blockbuster Singh Is Kinng, every actor worth his salt is donning the pagdi these days. By now its common knowledge that Salman Khan would be seen playing a sardar in Samir Karnik's multi-starrer Heroes and even chocolate boy Ranbir Kapoor is all set to play a sardar in Shimit Amit's next. Now the latest actor to don a pagdi is none other than cool dude Saif Ali Khan.

Saif was seen shooting in this completely new get up for his as yet untitled home production directed by Imtiaz Ali. The film pairs Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone for the first time. The unit recently shot in and around the Lake Market area of Kolkata. In order to avoid any disruptions during the 4 day shoot, the hawkers, vendors etc. were given adequate compensation.

As for Saif's get up, the buzz is that he sports this look during certain flashback sequences in the film. Whether the audiences will warm up to this avatar of 'Chhote Nawab', only time will tell but going by the increasing number of actors donning a pagdi, we can't help but agree that Singh is indeed King.

Saif Ali Khan | Deepika Padukone | Sizzling Shots | Kareena | Saif Video