Well the mammoth Unforgettable Tour has come to an end, but don’t fret I only mean the first leg. The magic will go on to cast its spell on Australia, Europe, Africa, South Africa, Middle East, South Asia and of course India in the subsequent phases.

But having been one of the very few lucky ones (or may be the only) to have watched all the shows, I couldn’t help but wonder each time on what kind of effort, dedication and commitment would have gone behind making this show really happen. So today I spent my entire day with the team who gave their all to make this the most extravagant show ever! I started off with a quick chat with Wiz Viraf Sarkari and what he told me just left me gasping for breath. If you thought the show is huge (no doubt) the numbers behind it are even bigger. Have a look…

-      6 LED (Laser Electronic Device) Curtains

-      6 Computerized Video Servers

-      22 tons of props, costumes and equipment

-      30 days of continuous rehearsals in India

-      45 days

-      84*40 Stage

-      120 Moving Intelligent Lights

-      150 people (Cast + Crew)

-      80 songs

-      600 square feet LED Screen

-      1000 costumers per show

-      6 months of creative planning

-      Over 1.5 years of tour planning

Phew!!!! (I told you I was left gasping for breath)

But my astonishment didn’t end there. Vijay Sabhlok (Head - Production & Technical) told me about  all the amazing effects that were used that made this show look even more stunning. ‘Fully Fibre Optic Networked Lighting Control System’, ‘animated graphic effects’ and some ‘flying effects’ were put together by the technical and creative team. 

Well, I couldn’t help but ask Wiz Viraf the very cliché question ‘what has been your most unforgettable moment on tour’ and to my surprise he said he had not one, not two, but TEN! First one being when Mr. Amitabh Bachchan came to Wizcraft with the idea of having a world tour and the remaining nine have been when the entire team has held hands and prayed before the show. He says the energy at that moment is magical (we agree with that!) He also said that the team spent over 6 months to decide on the name of the tour, short listing and selection and when you see the show, you know that it couldn’t have been named anything else.

Well you ask the team on what has been the most stressful moment on tour till now and the reply comes unanimously “when the power failure happened during Big B’s act in Houston’ and when questioned on what has been the most fun moment, pat comes the reply (unanimously again) “it’s just been a lotta fun all along”. But one thing I am sure that what makes all of this fun (45 days on road can get difficult at times) is that it is really one big happy family. Everybody gets along so well,  there might be occasional tussles but there is so much togetherness that it tends to undermine everything else! And the spirit of the team must be commended here because officially the team was divided into 33 smaller teams but when it came to work everyone pitched, not one person held back! And as Wiz Viraf Sarkari said, “It would have not been possible without the unshaken faith of his team.”

Well kudos and the loudest round of applause to the entire Wizcraft Team for putting up something so brilliant and making it look so effortless - Something everyone would cherish for a very very long time.

PS: Pics today are of all those who sweated it out behind the scenes, who worked tirelessly to make this tour a phenomenal success. Many have been working from back home and some on tour couldn’t make it for the photo-session (nothing comes in between work, now does it) But this space today is to congratulate the hard-work put in by each and every single member of the team. Cheers!

The London show brought out the best in Indian Cinema, like all the other Unforgettable Shows have, till now. The arena came alive with the thunderous applause that the fans gave after every act. The stars put their best foot forward for the last show of the first leg and they rocked! The fans screamed for encore performances and cheered the loudest for the biggest superstars of Indian Cinema - Amitabh Bachchan, who received a standing ovation for his heart rendering dialogue delivery. The show lasted for about 4 hours and fans roared at every move of the Unforgettable stars. Shilpa Shetty, London’s favourite girl, had (as expected) all dancing to her tunes. She performed on some of the most recent tracks - Race, Beedi, Its Rocking and Mauja hi Mauja and it was a stellar sight.  After the finale act, Big B called upon Wizcraft Directors - Wizzes Andre, Viraf and Sabbas and the Wizcraft Crew and sang two songs (Khaike Pan Bana Raswala and Pag Ghungroo Bandh) and you had the entire team dance on stage - it was just one big party! The first leg in London ended on a major high, as the Unforgettable became the first Indian Cinema concert to be staged at the iconic O2 Arena.

The not-so-good-news is that Rotterdam and Oberhausen- Germany shows have been called off. I met with Wizcraft Director, Wiz Sabbas Joseph to ask him what really happened and he told me that, “This decision comes after every possible attempt was made by us to try and find a solution. The local promoters defaulted, making it impossible to progress forward. We are truly saddened for those fans who purchased tickets in Rotterdam and Oberhausen in anticipation of experiencing this extravaganza. We are certain that we will be touring the European region and we will come back to embrace more cities soon”.

I know for a fact that the stars and the crew are very disappointed with the cancellation cause they were really looking forward to both the performances.  But Wizcraft in their efforts to implement the highest standards of technical excellence, financial and legal compliance have taken a firm stand with regard to local promoters throughout the tour, thereby ensuring perfect experiences for the audience and the performing artistes.

Well anyway I still remain completely spell-bound by the extravaganza that I was witness to yesterday. We are here for a day or two more. Will update you on all the behind the scene action, real soon.

The London show is tomorrow and obviously the preparations are in full swing. Shilpa Shetty joined us tod. She landed in London early this morning and just about checked into the hotel, when we rushed her to the BBC Studios for an interview for the Breakfast News. Mr. Bachchan also started his day early, he left at 7.30 in the morning for Leicester where he inaugurated a diabetic centre. As I always say, when there is a good cause at hand, our Unforgettable Stars are the first to come forward. Big B not only inaugurated the centre but also tested himself for Diabetes (turned out negative!) He then addressed a huge gathering of fans which had accumulated to see the legendary actor. Big B also autographed a car which would be given out as a bumper prize by the medical centre..someone is sure going to get really lucky really soon!!

The latter half of the day was scheduled for rehearsals and did we have a blast today or what? Shilpa was the first to grab the stage and by the looks if it, tomorrow she is going to sweep each and every person in the audience off their feet. Abhishek, Ash, Preity, Vishal, Shekhar and of course Big B took their chances on stage to make sure that the final performance tomorrow is the biggest and the best London has ever seen! Shiamak is here with us as well and a little birdie told me that he will also be doing a little gig on stage tomorrow. London is sure in for a treat…

While the jokes, laughs, pranks ware happening front of stage amidst rehearsals, the Wiz Crew were in full form backstage setting up for tomorrow. Their untiring efforts and unconditional dedication are beyond compare and they deserve more than a special mention. So I have decided to spend an entire day with the team that has actually made this possible and I cant wait to share their experiences and know about what all has really gone into making this truly an ‘Unforgettable’ show. Well, all looked fabulous before we left at around 9 and most of the team must have already drifted into deep sleep by now. The day tomorrow is packed with the last round of rehearsals before SHOWTIME at 7!

More from the O2 Arena tomorrow.

Well quite a lot has happened since the last two days. First and most importantly we have moved base from the United States to the United Kingdom. We arrived in London yesterday morning - yes, long transit hours and very bad jet-lag I would say were the two main reasons that I couldn’t write earlier. Apologies.

Moving on, the last two days in New York were absolute fun. Few members of the Wiz Crew did go to Six Flags (after many ditches, I really thought that their plan wouldn’t take off), the rest indulged themselves in some sinful shopping, sightseeing..basically trying to pack as much as we can into a day. Big B was busy in the Sound Studio where he recorded two new songs for the London Show (Cant give out more details it’s the big surprise for the UK show!). Vishal and Shekhar caught their latest release Bachna Ae Haseno and from the feedback they gave me, I just cant wait to watch it myself… Before we knew it was time to bid NY a good-bye (that actually rhymes!!). The stars left a day later than us and reached London only today morning. Jet-lagged and tried, they were still their charming selves at the press conference and the meet-and-greet session we had lined up for them for the day. Big B today was talking to us about the resilience of Indian Cinema and how it has grown in the past few years and literally taken on the world. He told us that back in ‘73 he and Jayaji were to perform at South Hall in London and guess what there were only 5 members in the audience - two were Jayaji’s relatives and the remaining three were ushers. From the then till now, the journey has been long and winding..from 5 audience members to over crazy 12,000… can only be a story of legend, a man who has almost single-handedly created history! I just finished my conversation with Big B when Preity starts to tell me how happy she was on this tour. She obviously says (and I agree) that it unfair to ask her to chose between this one and the ones she has been on previously but she says she is having a blast. The entire cast and crew gets along like a house on fire and that only adds to the fun. Preity often drops by Ash’s suite for lunch or dinner or just to hang-out and says very proudly that Ash takes good care of her and she will cherish this for a long time.

Well all the Unforgettable Stars unanimously say that the best part for them on this tour is being with Big B. And like all of us, they too are full praises about him. Humble that he is, Big B says jokingly that all these praises are very embarrassing and if the rest continue this way, he would walk out of the room.. But what can we do, we are so much in awe of this great man that the praises just flow naturally.

Well after a long round of chatting, the stars retired to thier rooms. They really need the rest as the next few days are brimming with fun. We start our preparations for the big ticket London Show and the Unforgettable Sizzle (thats what we have named her, for more than obvious reasons) joins us on 23rd. She in the past few weeks has been busy practicing and she says she is ready to rock London. Also, Wizcraft’s third Director (Wiz Viraf and Wiz Andre, the other two directors are here already) Wiz Sabbas Joseph has also joined us here so were in full force to out up the most extravagant celebration of Indian Cinema, UK has ever seen…

Have t0 run now. Bye. More very soon.

Actually not proper NYC, the rocking Unforgettable Show was at Long Island - Nassau Collissium and to say that it was mind-blowing is an understatement, really. And it was expected..the last show in the United States had everyone’s energy levels sky-rocketing! As usual, it is difficult to describe the magnitude and the grandeur of the show and however cliché it may sound, Unforgettable is THE word for it!!

Ash let out a secret and told us that New York holds special place in our heart and it is because NY is the place where Abhi proposed to her…Awwwww so sweet!!! To add more love to the air, we had none-other than the most loved couple of Indian Cinema, Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan do a small number, Teri Bindya, as the finale of the shades of love act. As soon as Ash and Abhi finished their performance of the same act (they do this wonderful dance on Tere Bina from Guru), Ash got Big B and Abhishek got Jaya Bachchan on stage for their gig and it was simply wonderful…

Well what made the US show really special were few special guests that we had in the audiences. Apporva Lakhia, Shiamak Davar and Shweta Bachchan were sitting in the front rows and were amongst the ones cheering the loudest!

But the saddest part of the about the show was bidding good-bye to Madhuri Dixit. She left for Denver today and yes just the very thought of not having her around makes us feel real sad. It’s the same feeling we got when she moved to US from Mumbai.

Anyway we are eagerly looking forward to Shilpa Shetty joining us in London and we so sure to have a blast with her. Till 20th is a forced holiday in New York (mind you, we are not complaining) and the Team is having a ball. Shopping, sight-seeing, movies, partying has all been on everyone’s agenda and we are loving it. Today to our very pleasant surprise there was a flea market right in front of our hotel so one could spot most of the Unforgettable Team crew there during the day. Shekhar gave us some really good suggestions on where to spend our time when in NY and it was spot-on. Some people plan to go to Six Flags tomorrow in New Jersey and the rest plan to continue shopping, so basically it is a fun day ahead. Our departures (plural because we travel in batches, can’t put all of us one flight!) from 19th so we would be bidding good-bye to the US soon. But so long that we are here we plan to make the most of it…

More, very soon

We landed in New York in the evening yesterday and just as we switched on our mobiles we got an sms inviting us to a party! It was Wizcraft’s Director, Wiz Viraf Sarkari’s birthday and in true Wizcraft style we decided to celebrate it with a big bash. So from the moment we checked into our hotel we all quickly finished whatever we had to do and headed straight out, dressed in our very best. The party was at the Earth Lounge and rocking is as understatement. We had the entire Wiz Crew and Shiamak troupe and the icing on the cake was that all the Unforgettable Stars showed up as well. Apporvia Lakhia who is also in the city, joined us as well. And trust me it cant get cooler than partying with the biggest stars of Indian Cinema, that too in New York City! The DJ belted some awesome tracks from hip-hop to house to retro and there was no single moment when there were less than 50 people burning the dance floor. The stars too played sport and joined us all on the dance floor. The party went on till wee hours of the morning, the fact that we all had to up and about for work the early morning next day was no hindrance AT ALL.

The day today, for more than obvious reason, started a bit late. But Wiz Crew was up and about with full energy getting all the work done, for today’s press conference and the meet-and-greet and of course for the show tomorrow! The technical team spent their day today on site getting all the back-end work done for tomorrow, while the rest got going for today’s activities. The press conference went-off real well with a very good turnout from the press. Big B looked his dashing self in a daper black suit and blue shirt, the ladies looked ravishing as ever and when you see Abhishek you just know why he is called the Unforgettable Dude, absolutely befitting! After the press conference and a choc-o-block one-on-one interview session, the stars left for the meet-and-greet session at the HSBC Towers. They just returned sometime back and headed to their rooms for some good rest before the big day tomorrow.

And by the way guess what, Indian Cinema’s resident hottie John Abraham came to visit us today, he is in NY and came-by during the press conference. Looking ‘oh-so gorgeous’ in a white tee and blue denims, his brief appearance made everyone’s heart skip a thousand beats!!

Well it’s a grand day tomorrow, our last show in the US and we all just can’t wait..Will write to you post show-time..

The day-off, started late.. we woke up around ten, stuffed oursleves with some good breakfast and then called a cab for ourselves (Mind you, we went in full style.. a swanky white stretch limo was called for us) and headed downtown - navy pier! It was good fun.. some joy rides, some good food and a wonderful view of the city. I was sitting by the waterfront sipping on my coffee when I glanced at a paper talking of global warming. And everytime I read or hear about this alarming issue it really worries me because nature is talking to us, rather loudly. I am more than glad that the Unforgettable Tour is supporting and campaigning for the cause of climate change and sustainable development. 

Do you that 1.6 billion around the world dont have benefits of basic electricity? And we on the other hand get upset with an hour or minutes of power cut. I am so proud that the Unforgettable Tour recognises this and had joined hands with The Energy Resources of India and proposes to light up the homes of a billion people by providing solar lanterns to those without electrivity. At each of our shows Mrs. Jaya Bachchan comes onstage to enlighten the audiences on this alarming issue and requests support from each one present.

But honestly I feel that it wont take so much even if you and I had to do it.. because really simple steps can make such a difference. Don’t want to sound philosophical here but switching off your TV from the mains and not keeping them on stand-by, not overcharging our phones and ipods, keeping our AC on 24 degrees, switching-off car engines at traffic signals is really not asking for so much now is it? We can really be torchbearers for a new tommorow.

Join our movement (the details are mentioned on the site) or just pledge support on here! I am sure all of us together can save our earth, our home. So c’mon lets take a stand today and go all out to fight global warming. Obviously there is nothing that we can’t achieve…

So on this green note I am signing out, also have an early morning flight to New York tommorow. More from Manhattan…

The Chicago show was just another stunner! I sat amongst the audiences to gauge their reactions and was just overwhelmed to hear their responses. People drove from real far… waited long hours.. to watch their favourite star put up a stellar performance. And the crowds… one of the best we have seen!. At all times we had them standing (at most times atop their seats), cheering, roaring, screaming and applauding the Unforgettable Stars…. Madhuri ofcourse was missed way too much and we cant wait for her to join us in New York..

The day after the show was scheduled for press breifing and a meet and greet with the fans. The press meets are turning out to be really fun/informative sessions. And much to the delight of the media, Big B pointed out, “We habitually attract negative press, but one of the unforgettable moments on this tour have been that the press have been exceptionally kind and generous.”  The media then requested Big B to recite a few lines from his father’s famous poem “Madhushala” and he happily obliged. Not that the words are not beautiful enough but when Big B delivers them in this rich barritone they just tug on your heartstrings… When quizzed ,what is that one thing that keeps driving them to do more??? Vishal and Shekhar were the first to answer and they said “without a doubt, its being on stage with Big B” and everyone agreed. For Ash it was an experience that she will cherish for a long time, everyone agreed again and unaminously said, “We can’t wait for Leg 2″. Abhishek added that, “the toughest thing to do when you’re on stage is to leave and go… when one sees so much adulation pouring out for you from so many people it just becomes so hard to say bye and get back into the green room”… (And with his kind of fan-following, I am sure that must be a task!)

Well the press briefing and meet-and-greet had to be a short one as the stars left to New York immediately after that. Wiz Crew and Shiamak dancers join them tommorow so technically today is an off-day and the plans are to go check-out the place.

So I am off now, before they leave without me! Will write to to you about our day-out!

Well I think I really need to do something…maybe not me..but someone needs to find more synonyms of superb, fantastic, mind-blowing ….really fast ‘coz the Unforgettable Tour is on a roll! The Atlantic City at the Broadwalk Hall was fantabulous.

Well for sure I feel that the two-three hours before the show at the venue are most exciting..the anxiety can be felt but what can be felt even more is the energy..you can literally feel it oozing out of each and every member of the Unforgettable Team..the scene is like this: front of stage final sound and light checks are happening..on stage last-min rehearsals, markings are going on..the dancers are running getting their make-up done and rehearsals, either side of the stage where the production team sits (differs from each venue) is like a dedicated placed to have meetings (now here I don’t mean round-table conference type of stuff..just some few discussions) and the stars are making sure that some fun elements are thrown into this entire process…they fool around, crack jokes and ensure we always have a smile on our faces whatever the situation may be. Also to mention that the 2-3 hours before the show are the ones that go by fastest..

The Atlantic City show began with a local troupe’s performance and then on the big LED onstage a pulsating countdown began (that’s how all our shows begin)…and it was SHOWTIME. The show from the word go was rocking and one could see that from the way the audiences reacted…Abhishek’s entry from the crowds made the fans go berserk, there was just no stopping..The audiences throughout the show were up on their seats and gathered on the aisles and dancing along energetically with each performance..they also gave Big B a standing ovation after he rendered some of his most popular films (and who deserves it more than him, I say) I do feel a tad sorry for the security guys, I am sure they had never seen a more enthusiastic audience than this but then they were having fun and in the end, that’s all that matters. As usual it is most difficult task to pick the best act or even the best performer, I only feel the more to watch it, the more you fall in love with it…I  But in the words of Big B “let’s hope that the best is yet to come” (we couldn’t have agreed more)

Well the show ended at around 1am and we had a huge task of packing-up all equipment, costumes etc. in short time ‘coz we had to leave for Philadelphia in the next three hours (that’s where we got our flight to Chicago from) Well now we are here and three hours away from the Show, which I am sure it is going to be rocking (as usual) Only person missing would be our very dear Madhuri, she joins us for the NY show now..Anyway I am rushing to the venue now…

More soon

Well firstly sorry for not having written in two days but all our time was spent in prepping in for the coming shows. There is just a lot happening!! Secondly I have tell you that the drive from NY to Atlantic City is just gorgeous. Before I got on the coach yesterday I thought that the approx 3 hour ride would be a good time to catch up on sleep but I just couldn’t get my eyes off the road! Also my dear co-passengers (Shiamak’s dancers and few Wiz Crew also made sure that no one slept…at every waterfront that we crossed they kept shouting Statue of Liberty…Non-stop singing was obviously a part of the background (Yes the fun times on tour are always rolling). Well we reached Atlantic City yesterday around 4.30 after an extended stop for lunch (the driver told us to come back in ten minutes, but we took fourty five …see food is a very important part of our lives!).

The moment we reached the dancers went to get to some rest, Wiz Crew started to gear for the press conference scheduled to start in an hour and half. Efficient that we are (if I may so myself) we were up and ready in flat 30 minutes. Media, fans, sponsors, partners, associates came in and the usual frenzy happened as the Unforgettable Stars walked into the room. The press meet went well, Wiz Viraf Sarkari (Wizcraft Director) and Big B addressed the media and then we left the house open for a Q&A session. Interesting questions and even more interesting answers were exchanged. Just one when Big B mentioned that the style, choreography and presentation of this tour will something that the audiences have never-seen-before, one of the media persons quizzed him on the presence of any elephants etc on the Unforgettable Tour like they were on his previous world tour ‘Jumma Chumma’, Wiz Viraf Sarkari advised that the health and safety standards today at most venues restrict the bringing of any animals (even a cat) to the venue but Abhishek jokingly added that the energy with which the Vishal and Shekhar jump on stage during their act will surely remind them of Kangaroos..LOL…and he also added that Riteish does an excellent impersonification of an elephant…and the room came alive with a thunderous applause.

Riteish then told us how happy he is to be a part of the tour. How being the youngest one, he is the most looked after and told us how relaxed he is because he has his close friend Abhishek by side…Now thats such a refreshing change to see such warm friendship amongst our stars. Actually Abhishek rightly pointed out that what makes the Unforgettable Show really rock (apart from the audiences) is the comaradie between the group. Wizcraft has actually got together a great gang, one that the world has never-seen-before together and one that like-minded and wants to give their best to make this show truly Unforgettable. And it is this friendship that reflects so strongly on-stage and off it as well. We always have one (or more) stars gate-crashing into the others’ act. Abhishek and Riteish can be seen during Ash’s performance and they come on stage to rap with Vishal & Shekhar. I think it is the fun that they have on stage that communicates and connects so well with the audiences that they too end up having a great time.

And as usual can’t wait for the Atlantic City show today. Will update soon.

Take Care