Amitabh Bachchan turns blogger, gets 'a new life'

Mumbai: Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has turned blogger to connect with his fans worldwide.

Speaking about his new initiative, Bachchan said, "The blog allows me to express myself, share and reflect my emotions, thoughts, opinions and listen to what people have to say to me and show them the 'real' side to my larger than life image that they see through media. It's a platform which I control and share my own drama without anyone editing or interpreting my thoughts."

"What's most important for me is that I can now share consequential replies to the inconsequential gossip that do the rounds. I have always wanted a platform, where I can speak, for truth is always stranger than fiction. People will now be able to get an unedited version of my views, ideas and thoughts, straight from me," he said.

Aamir Khan is one of the first actors to take to blogging, followed by filmmaker Kunal Kohli among others.

Writing his first blog on Friday, Bachchan described his blogging experience as an overwhelming experience. "It seems like a new life altogether," he added.

He said he opened his blog to find hundreds of reactions and inputs and that he was committed to respond to them.

"There are several that need a personal answer because of the nature of their queries or comments. I am going to start doing that as in work on my set, in between shots," he said.

He also appealed for patience to get used to this facility and its technical operation. Some also wanted to know about his films, his views on plagiarising in films, his dislike for western comparative attitudes.

Explaining why he had repeated his interviews with the media on the blog, he asked the readers to read the print in the newspaper and then minutely his official written responses.

"You will discover that all that I have given has not been incorporated in the press. This is not an accusation. Press has the liberty and the right to print, in their assessment what they feel needs to go on their paper. But at times, I feel, all that I had to say and the manner in which it was said, can and does give a different mentality to the interview."

"I would in all fairness therefore, want the readers of my blog, that take the trouble to access it, be privy to facts as they were portrayed by me. And in the true spirit of fairness allow the reader to judge what he thinks is acceptable or not," his blog says.

He said the blog will give all, including himself, to interact as freely as possible and not have to wait for, or be guided by, another medium.

Amitabh expressed surprise over a comment that he being in an exalted position have considered to talk, metaphorically, to the 'common man'.

"This is unacceptable to me. No one is 'common'.

Each one of us have qualities unique and different from others. I do not and certainly not my family, hold any kind of 'special' status. I am as 'common' as the common man and as 'special' as him too," the actor said.