Not father, Prasoon Joshi wrote COVID-19 poem, clarifies Amitabh Bachchan
What's the story
When Amitabh Bachchan recited the poem Ruke Na Tu, we were speechless, after watching the now-deleted video. The depth of his execution hit the spot right! Everything was spotless, except for one simple fact: Him crediting his father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, for it. In reality, the poignant poem has been penned by Prasoon Joshi. Bachchan has now clarified the same, and Joshi has reacted.
Details
'Believe these words celebrate the spirit of the COVID-19 warriors'
In the first video, after he was done reciting, Bachchan spoke words of encouragement for COVID-19 warriors. He said, "These words, written by my father Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan, are a clarion call that reminds us to never give up. I believe these words celebrate the spirit of COVID-19 warriors who, as we know, are sacrificing so much for all of us."
Rectification
Bachchan reshared the video with the credit portion edited out
The Zanjeer actor had shared that rendition on Tuesday, crediting his father. But when he realized his gaffe, he deleted it, reposted the video the next day. And this time, he made necessary edits, and captioned: Ruke na tu ke rachaiyta: Prasoon Joshi (Creator of Ruke Na Tu: Prasoon Joshi). Giving his reaction, Joshi said, "I feel humbled if my poem can provide support."
Quote
'An honor that his craft is reflected in my work'
"Several sites in the internet consider it as a creation of respected late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. It is an honor that his craft is reflected in my work. My respect to Ma Saraswati," said the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification.
Donation
Bachchan recently donated Rs. 2 crore for COVID-19 aid
Notably, the veteran actor is going all out to help the COVID-19 victims. He recently donated Rs. 2 crore to Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur COVID-19 care facility, Delhi. According to Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Bachchan also helped in arranging oxygen cylinders. Netizens lauded him for donating to a COVID-19 care facility, instead of giving it to PM-CARES fund, whose functioning remains questionable.
COVID-19
India continues to struggle with COVID-19 crisis
India's COVID-19 situation is not getting any better. On Thursday, the country reported 3.62 lakh new COVID-19 infections along with over 4,100 more fatalities. Experts speculate that the real numbers are much higher than the government data. The Modi government is facing flak for ignoring the warnings over new coronavirus variants. They are also facing criticism for allowing massive poll rallies and religious gatherings.