Amitabh Bachchan mulls over life and death after Ritu Nanda’s ‘chautha’: ‘Life moves on’

In an introspective post, Amitabh Bachchan mulled over life and death as he returned from the ‘chautha’ of daughter Shweta Bachchan’s mother-in-law, Ritu Nanda. The actor also spoke about the Hindu ritual of immersing the ashes in rivers – a ceremony conducted by Ritu’s son Nikhil Nanda and grandchildren Agastya and Navya Naveli.

“Immersions in the sacred river waters… the ashes washed , flowing by in the flow of the currents… prayers .. a gentle rain .. a blessing they say .. and tomorrow the 4th day , the ‘chautha’ .. the prayer meet … and traditions continue .. there must be meaning and reason .. there must be religious sanctity .. there must be belief .. there must be following .. a learning passed on from generation to the next from the times of time .. accepted and honoured in its purity and its relevance , through the ages,” the actor wrote in his blog.

Entrepreneur Ritu Nanda, daughter of Raj Kapoor and married to industrialist Rajan Nanda, died on Tuesday after battling with cancer for many years.

The actor also wrote about how life moves on. “Now the mere images and the memories .. vivid , emotional , sincere and lasting ever .. then life moves on .. to each his own .. births and death days remembered and brought in either prayer or remembrance .. a picture garlanded on the walls .. solemn occasions made personal with their imagery .. blessings sought each morning before the start of day .. a touch .. a silent moment .. thats it .. done .. the eventuality of life .. a picture on the wall.”

Talking about a divine power that presides over us, he added, “They that we lost , know all languages suddenly in their demise .. they are , if they are in the divine space, hearing seeing watching over all this .. a moment that shall never be known to us beings .. they that have been lost are the supreme .. a supreme hopefully that we all strive for in living .. not knowing that the supreme is a reserved exclusivity .. you will need a lifetime to get to achieve it .. in its solemnity of divine power .”