'Everything is smooth so far'

Having a celebrity as your neighbour may be good for your ego, but it may have its share of disadvantages too.

Among the biggest disadvantages would be the special occasions of the concerned star, and the way fans and media would crowd the neighbourhood on those days.

As the big day nears, the lane outside Amitabh Bachchan's bungalows, Prateeksha and Jalsa, sees increasing activity, as fans, the media and the security personnel converge.

Bachchans' special occasions have always resulted in traffic delays for neighbours but they seem to be used to it by now.

"Everything is smooth so far," says Meenal Agarwal, a collegian, who lives near Jalsa. "There has been no problem as far as traffic is concerned."

After a pause she adds, "Traffic jams are there, but they are not catastrophic. Earlier, on Amitabh Bachchan's birthdays, fans would throng the residence and try to grab his attention. But this time, they have managed it well. I think the Bachchans have learnt from their past mistakes and are organising this event well."

Hiten Shah, who lives near Prateeksha, says, "It is a part of our life to get delayed by a few minutes whenever there is a function at the Bachchans' home. It's okay with us. After all, we have to pay something extra to live next to such a big personality!"

So how has the wedding affected his life?

"Not much until now. But you never know what will happen on the wedding day itself. I feel the Bachchans have become very professional and organised this event very well. There is much more security so trespassing is not easy," he adds.

Outside Prateeksha, a barricade has been built on the footpath making it difficult for onlookers to cross the road.

"They have also kept media at a distance and that is another reason why things are going smoothly. Earlier, mediapersons used to run with their cameras on the roads, stopping traffic in the process," Shah adds.

So is there any difference between this marriage and Bachchan's birthday celebrations?

"Yes," says Shah. "I cannot see any flowers or bouquets. There used to be heaps of flowers outside his gate on birthdays but I don't know where the flowers have disappeared this time. I only guess, they will come tomorrow as the actual wedding takes place on that day."

Meanwhile, it was rumoured that the Big B had requested his neighbours not to entertain the media in their homes. However, this was strongly denied by everyone.

Photographs: Reuben NV