Overkill? Kill the thought

Overkill, did we hear? It may sound like that, for underwear is the only thing Mr Bachchan isn’t endorsing at the moment. From pens to polio drops, from cars to colas, real estate to retail banking, TV commercials beam a beaming Bachchan all the time.

The surfeit of Bachchan spots has turned off not only Bachchan-baiters, but also many Bachchan fans. Is the Big B stooping too low for money? Will overexposure kill his career? Are we getting sick of him? Questions, questions and questions.

The answer, my friend, is a Big No. Amitabh Bachchan is getting endorsement deals because he is Amitabh Bachchan. Products love him because people, you and me, love him. Amitabh loves doing these because it means big money.

Money means a lot, and big money means a hell of a lot. And Amitabh Bachchan knows that for he has gone through a hell of a hell because he ran out of money and creditors were running after him. Many crumble under such circumstances. The Man did not.
Superstars have destroyed their lives in times of crises because in their stardom, they forget the spelling of adversity. It spells doom. Failure is bigger for the one whose success has been big.

One step at a time, he has been able to come out of the morass. He has paid his debts back. He’s trying to pump life into his sick, nearly dead, corporation. And it all costs money. His son’s career is in the doldrums.

He’s doing bit roles in films, ads, endorsements, shows, appearances everything that it takes to build a legacy. Apart from being the God that many perceive him to be, he’s also a man with a family. And he’s 62. He doesn’t have many youthful years ahead. He knows he has to retire.

He isn’t retiring like his predecessors Rajesh Khanna and Dilip Kumar did. He is not slipping into oblivion. He’s hot property years after being written off.

Hrithik Roshan decided to do a few ads fearing overexposure would affect his career adversely. Out of sight, he was soon out of mind. Sachin Tendulkar let those fears go for a six, he remains the biggest cricketer in the world.

Amitabh is a survivor; he’s beaten death and bankruptcy. The Amitabh Factor can beat minor factors like too much exposure.