Big B adds life to Rai’s poetry

Listeners got a taste of Bachchan baritone when Big B narrated his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s poems at a charity book launch in Mumbai. And reciting with him was the little master Sachin Tendulkar’s daughter Sara Tendulkar.

“Jeevan ki apa dhapi mein, kub waqt mila,

Kuch der kahin par baith kabhi ye soch sakun,

Jo kiya, kaha, mana usmein kya bura bhala…”

As Bachchan recited lines from Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s What did I gain or what did I lose, it looked like he went back in time perhaps identifying the gist of his own life in his father’s words.

Jeevan ki apa dhapi mein or What did I gain or what did I lose is the piece that Amitabh Bachchan picked for Poems for Cry—the book which is a collection of some classic poetry chosen by some of India's biggest celebrities from all walks of life.

Bachchan spoke about his age-old love and concern for poetry. "Poetry is fast fading away from our lives. In the pace of metro cities, we have lost touch with this medium. It is wonderful to see that somebody has taken the initiative to compile poetry for children," he said.

The evening also witnessed some simple yet touching poetry reading by Sachin Tendulkar's nine-year old daughter, Sara who dedicated a poem to her grandfather, Ramesh Tendulkar besides a touch of shayari by veteran singer Jagjit Singh who also recited some of his favorite dohas on the occasion.

With a foreword by Amartya Sen, and a star studded launch, Poems for Cry is likely to hit just the right chord with the chatterati.