Amitabh Bachchan COLOSSUS

Dear Amitji,

“That is what you need to get and disbelieve ( that mag above ) .. much has been put in this one that is really most undeserving .. so I could have scanned all the pages on it .. but I shall leave that for you to discover ..

COLOSSUS .. !!! heheheh” (DAY - 3087)

Sir, your above reaction to caption of your magnificent picture on the cover of “HI Blitz” - Amitabh Bachchan, the COLOSSUS -  was expected by us  because we believe you are the most modest person on the planet. But, the truth is the magazine must be admired for giving the most appropriate caption to your cover picture. (Hi! BLITZ is a premium lifestyle magazine that introduces India's aspiring affluent to the good life. It covers iconic personalities from all walks of life and creates lifestyle benchmarks for readers to aspire to. It''s the magazine that India's rich and famous love talking to and with whom they share their most intimate moments!)

Sir, your mentioning of the magazine Hi Blitz brings to memory my most favorite weekly journal in the 50s and 60s - Blitz -  to which I was sort of addicted to reading, especially its popular column “Last Page” written by noted writer Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. Blitz, was a  very popular investigative weekly tabloid newspaper published and edited by Russi Karanjia from Bombay. It ceased publication in mid-1990s, when I had already moved to the U.S. Much of my love for Blitz was because it leaned towards leftist views in its contents, which matched to somewhat my own views in many matters. The other weekly magazine I loved most during that period was the Illustrated Weekly of India, especially when my most favorite journalist and author Khushwant Singh was its editor. Both these weeklies were brought to us every week by the hawker who delivered our daily newspaper, The Hindustan Times, New Delhi. Sir, I’m writing about my love for these magazines and papers at length is to convey how relevant it is to what you stated with reference to print media - “People say that the age of the newspaper is over and that their relevance has been challenged by the ‘digital revolution’ ..

I do not seem to find that relevant. The number of print media that exists now has been more than what it was earlier. The joy of picking up that entire bunch of newspapers, and running through them, even though by midnight they are available on the net, is a habit that shall not be easily removed…” (DAY - 3086)

Sir, There’s no doubt that the world today is defined by information. Whether it’s news, opinions, interviews or advertising, written, spoken or in filmed, it’s information (and marketing content) that provides the direction and structure to our lives. Media determine our lives. Perhaps the most important benefit of print media is tangibility. Among the reasons why many people prefer print is to do with the feel of the paper, having it in their hands means that the content is real, it exists. Print media is unique in its capability to trigger a number of senses; of course the feeling of paper. A print piece is a physical thing. Magazines and newspapers can stay in houses or offices for months or years, while Internet content can disappear into cyber space instantaneously. There is something about print that gives a sense of legitimacy. The saturation of popups and banner ads on the web can be overwhelming and the fear of spam and viruses is enough to make people wary of clicking. There is no imminent danger in a print content. Reading a magazine at the kitchen table over morning coffee. Browsing a catalog from the comfort of an armchair. Clipping out coupons on a Sunday afternoon. Paper gives us the choice to respond to advertising on their own time, and in their own way. It doesn’t yell. It doesn’t flash. It just sits, patiently, and waits to be read. No Sir, the age of the print media is not over, in fact, we cannot do without it, whether at the doctor’s office waiting for your turn to see the doctor, or at the salon before the barber is ready to serve you or dozens of other places where you are happy to pick up a paper or a magazine to pass your time most comfortably before the place is ready to receive you.

With regards and best wishes for PINK

Tilak Rishi