/> Amitabh Bachchan the pleasures of Blogging.

How satisfying has the experience of blogging been so far?
I was not aware of the existence of such a medium. I read about it in the media, spoke to the people who were in the process of preparing my website and they educated me on the blog.

It has been a most wonderful experience and I have wondered why this was not known to me earlier.

The speed of communication the world over, the responses to my thoughts, the adulation and endearment expressed by well -wishers, the vulgar and ugly abuses, the strength of the advices that you receive, the healthy criticism, the demand for more on my father's works, the requests for Hindi fonts and words, the requests from foreign bloggers not to write in Hindi for fear of not understanding it, all of it has been educative and awe -inspiring.

It has been like talking to each one of them personally sitting across the table.

It must be very time-consuming?
It is time consuming because I read all the messages myself and I write my blog personally too. I have not permitted the server to allow comments to go through a 'moderator' because I want a fair, clean, democratic approach to be practised.

You seem to have become far more frank and forthright, far less diplomatic than you used to be.
Maybe.

But I think it comes from the knowledge that what you write or express has the ability to go across to the reader without dilution or moderation. The absence of the 'middleman' in this business, as an eminent colleague from your fraternity described the situation, helps in the purity of my output.

This is not to challenge the purity of the middlemen or their intention, but it is sometimes more desirable to deal directly.

I try to be as honest as I can in my out pouring and yes they may seem to you to be more frank and forthright and less diplomatic, but I wonder too at times whether that has been judicious of me.

As I spoke in my last blog of DAY 28 (i), words and expressions can get twisted and misinterpreted and can cause unwanted hurt or a misunderstanding.

These are some of the misgivings that all in the public domain have to be careful about. A twisted or misinterpreted thought could create an avalanche of negativity, which in turn could fructify into harsh and ugly acts.

I would hate for that to happen and whenever it has, I have not hesitated to tender an apology or to correct myself if I have done wrong. I am human and I will make mistakes.

Your comments on Shah Rukh's television show and on a film critic have been discussed widely. Do you feel your comments could've had an impact that perhaps exceeded your intentions?
Exactly. As I said above, that is just what I am talking about. I narrated on my blog what actually transpired during one of my several meetings with TV heads, who had come with proposals to me to do a show for them.

I asked them some genuine questions on the viability of game shows. They described to me the falling ratings, which included shows done by me and by others as well.

Out of a desire, purely academic in nature, I questioned them as to why they would want to do another similar show if the ratings were not supportive. They put across arguments and suggestions and ideas, which in keeping with the confidentiality of the moment would be unprofessional on my part to disclose, and left.

Our talks are still open as is my intention to work for them.

I merely transferred these talks, or at least the basics of it to my blog purely to seek opinion not glory, and the next thing I read is that it is an attempt on my part to show Shah Rukh in poor light.

Which was entirely incorrect and a load of rubbish. I have since, on my blog of DAY 28 (i) apologised to Shah Rukh and those offended by this wrong assumption. I have also with folded hand made a plea to the media on this.

As for the film critic, he has been pursuing a personal agenda against my family and me, which you and several others have noticed and acknowledged too at times.

For my recent film Bhootnath he did a review which blatantly confirmed said personal agenda. Reviews in my opinion are meant to talk about the merits and demerits of the film.

Trash the film if you have not liked it, give it zero rating, not a problem. But, if the review will be a personal attack and will be put in the public domain because the writer has the benefit of a medium under his control, then I too have the right to take a personal dig at him through a medium in my control.

It is my democratic right and I have exercised it.

I will apologise to Shah Rukh a hundred times if there is an iota of doubt in his mind about my conduct and behaviour towards him, but I will not apologise to said film critic, because his journalistic ethics are wrong !

How much time do you set aside for the blog every day? Has it become an addictive routine?
Whenever I get the time I write. There is no time set aside for it. It's more a self imposed commitment than an addiction.

What expansion plans do you have as a blogger?
The blog will shortly become a part of the website that is under construction.

The website will be more encompassing – my father, mother, Jaya, Abhishek, Aishwarya, Shweta or any other family member or non -member for that matter that wishes to contribute on it, will have a presence.

It will be a huge task, particularly matter containing my father's works will be prominently displayed. His repertoire is vast and varied and of immense literary value and I wish to give it its pride of place and importance.

It's being said in a section of the press that the blog is a massive commercial enterprise, that you're being paid a hefty amount to keep the blog interesting.
I repeat here again that the blog is not a commercial venture and I have not been paid this ridiculous amount of money to write it. I am merely using the facility of the server provided by bigadda.com to carry my blog.

If the reporter carrying this allegation has proof contrary to what I say, let them bring it out.

Show me paper work justifying the payment – contracts, bank details of payment made etc. Or, give us details of the source from where they claim they got this information and let him justify his declaration in an acceptable public forum.

The acceptance by same 'section of media' of the blog being 'interesting' is a compliment to its content which I humbly accept.