Big B’s tribute to his father

Amitabh Bachchan will be throwing a party to commemorate his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s 101st birth anniversary, which falls on November 28.

One of the most renowned Hindi poets of his time, the senior Bachchan has greatly influenced Amitabh, a fact reiterated by Bachchan always quoting from his father’s most popular collection, Madhushala. The most oft quoted by him is, ‘Mann ka ho to achcha, mann ka na ho to aur bhi achcha’.

To further show his respect for the poet Bachchan, Amitabh’s company AB Corp is all set to launch a coffee table book Madhushala, which will be translated in English by Namrata Bachchan (daughter of younger brother Ajitabh).

“I’ve been working on the deluxe edition of Madhushala to be released as a part of my grandfather’s centenary celebrations this November,” said Namrata Bachchan, clarifying that she hasn’t done the translation. “The poem was translated into English by two scholars back in 1950. I’ve used the text as well as the original Hindi text to create a bilingual illustrated edition of the poem. It was a creative challenge, and being his grand-daughter made the journey more emotional.”

Amitabh Bachchan is said to have already written a foreword to the book.