Amitabh: The Legend went into several reprints and was translated into Hindi and other languages. The 361-page book has some exotic pictures of the actor and insightful interviews from his family but my favorite memory of the book is a diary where I spend seven days observing the actor at work, on the sets of Khuda Gawah at Mehboob Studio.
The motive of the feature was to gage an artist at work, his anxiety, his fatigue, his reactions before the camera and when the lights went out. To observe and comment on what annoys him and what makes him smile, does he feel weighed down after a strenuous scene..?
What does he eat during the lunch break, does the food come from home or does he eat the studio food? Does he take a power nap post lunch or does he move from studio to studio without a break?
Is he interactive on sets, in between shots or does he keep to himself? Does he drink tea/ coffee/ nimbu paani or nariyal paani in between meals? Is he nervous before a take? Does he rehearse his scene before the unit or in the privacy of his makeup room?
I cannot guarantee I found all the answers but observing the actor over a week was a learning experience. Picture shot at #OutofTheBlue, Mumbai