Not father, Prasoon Joshi wrote COVID-19 poem, clarifies Amitabh Bachchan
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.
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."
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."
"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.
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.
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.
