Big B the brightest star on Lahabari guest list

KOLKATA: Over the years, the sprawling north Kolkata mansion has played host to several stars from the silverscreen. But none as big as Big B has ever stepped into its hallowed precincts. Nor has any other celebrity cast a spell on the entire neighbourhood for an entire week. For members of Lahabari, where megastar Amitabh Bachchan shot for six days on the trot for ‘Piku’, it has been an experience they are not going to forget in a hurry.
“Having the country’s best actor shooting in your home is indeed special. We are obviously proud of it. Even though we rarely venture into the shooting zone or interact with actors during shoots, some of us did make an exception this time. We watched him shoot from a distance and interacted with him briefly, just because he was Mr Bachchan. It has been a memorable week for the family,” said Alok Law, a senior member of the family.
It was only on the eve of the shoot that Shoojit Sircar’s unit informed the family about Bachchan’s visit. They were thrilled and decided to watch Bachchan in action, said Law. But no special arrangements were made to welcome the superstar. Nor did the family invite him for a meal. “He strode out of his make-up van and walked in with his security. I was seeing him in flesh and blood for the first time, so it was special. A little later, some of us exchanged greetings with him and clicked a few photographs with the actor. But we left him alone after that,” said Law.
The shoot didn’t upset the family’s routine, though. “We were attending office regularly and would be out when the shoot happened. But yes, we did catch a glimpse or two before leaving home,” said Law.
Lahabari has witnessed several high-profile film shoots over the last 12 years. It was in this mansion that Vidhu Vinod Chopra shot a major chunk of ‘Parineeta’ with Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan in 2003. Rituparno Ghosh had filmed ‘Antarmahal’ at the Lahabari with Abhishek Bachchan and Soha Ali Khan. A few years later, Saif Ali Khan returned to shoot his own production ‘Love Aaj Kal’ at Lahabari.
But Bachchan’s visit led to an unprecedented sensation in the neighbourhood. Large crowds gathered on the road everyday and the police had to cordon off the house. It was a bit inconvenient, said another member of the family. “We are used to shoots in our house. But this time the crowd was bigger due to Mr Bachchan’s presence. But we didn’t mind for it’s a privilege to have someone like him shooting right under your nose,” said the member.
Lahabari is now receiving a fresh coat of white paint. The regal pillars and the expansive walls around the courtyard had been coloured off-white for the shoot. They will be back to their normal shade before the next shoot commences on December 10. But nothing can ever be as exciting as the ‘Piku’ shoot, felt Ranjan Parhi, security guard at Lahabari. Having watched numerous shootings over the last eight years, Parhi is familiar with the stars. But he can’t stop gushing about Bachchan. “I followed his every step as far as I could. Whether he was shooting at the courtyard, on the staircase, inside a room or at the terrace, I would observe him every minute. One afternoon, I managed to slip into the shooting zone and clicked a photo with him. It was the best moment of my life,” said Parhi.