AB blames everyone for ruining the world tour

It must be galling. At home they are treated like royalty, shrines are set up to worship them and millions follow the minutiae of their daily their lives. But while the stars of Bollywood cinema are adored by the Indian diaspora the world over, the majority of non-Indians remain oblivious to their fame.

If anything was going to raise international awareness of Bollywood’s unique brand of magic, this should have been it.

But as the first leg of the tour - taking in cities in the USA and Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, and this weekend London - draws to a close, hopes for world domination appear frustrated. For while the shows have been filled with committed fans from the Indian sub-continent, they have failed to draw in the Western crowds.

According to Shekhar Ravjiani, one half of the musical duo Vishal-Shekhar who are part of the show, to date 85-90 per cent of audiences have been from the diaspora, leave at most 15 per cent Western audiences.

Part of the problem could be financial. Promoters have been charging as much as £250 for a ticket, and with credit crunch sliding towards recession on both sides of the Atlantic, it’s not surprising only the most die-hard fans are prepared to fork out.

Even the Bachchan's greatest admirers in Trinidad and Tobago were shocked at the prices they were being asked to pay. Local promoter Mahendra Persad complained that even with the inflated ticket price, the exorbitant cost of accommodating the Bachchans, with their vast retinue and extravagant props, had rendered the venture financially unviable.

In Toronto, it was dubbed the Unaffordable World Tour. And in Vancouver, the planned show was cancelled when it failed to sell out. A failure, the tour’s producer Wiz Viraf Sarkari, was yesterday blaming on the local promoter.

There are also still tickets available for Sunday’s London show. And while Viraf Sarkari was stating confidently that it would sell out, a spokesperson for the O2 Arena refused to reveal how many seats remained unsold but said the target was to reach 15,000 - 2,000 short of the venue’s 17,000 capacity.

Although bringing Shetty on board for a special appearance suggests a bid by the family to capitalise on her crowd-pulling quality among non-Indians, Abhishek Bachchan feigned surprise that for most of the broader British public she is now the pre-eminent face of Bollywood.

“Really?” he said pointedly. “That’s very good. We’re happy for her. She’s a member of the fraternity and we’re happy for her.” His magnanimity, a touch unconvincing.

Originally Posted by xXx

^^^

Bachchans are stooping low...they asking shilpa shetty for help....

Originally Posted by Agnel

Why is he making double posts ?

Big B candidly wrote in his blog, “I notice some readers showing anger and anguish at some of the negative media reports in Buzz.18 and CNN IBN. Well what can I say. Even before the shows started I had made you aware of this and warned you. So they live up to my predictions. This is a glorious moment for me. I dictate, they emulate!”

He ferociously attacked the media, as he wrote, “It is a desperate and futile attempt at defaming, destroying and belittling a well accomplished achievement. One that is done and over with to amazing result. One , sadly, they will never be a part of and one they shall never be able to recreate. They find themselves on crutches. A most despicable condition they brilliantly managed, by, and this is both laughable and ironical, axing their own feet!”

He further wrote, “Entertainment, the euphemism for news channels and internet.coms, compels them to manufacture their own jokes just so they could have a hearty laugh!”

Big B also included some of the SMSs sent by viewers to emphasise the ‘phenomenal’ popularity of his show. “CJ I have all the money in the world seen the world but today thank you for something money could never do. Watching Mr. B today the final bits will live with me till I die. What a great man. Put him on the flag of India thanks mate”, the SMS said.