Big B to make an aesthetic bookcase for his late father and poet’s works

Amitabh Bachchan’s abiding love for his parents, the late Harivansh Rai and Teji Bachchan, is well-known. While father and legendary poet Harivansh Rai passed away on January 18, 2003, mother Teji succumbed to a prolonged illness towards the end of last year.

Incidentally, the devoted son, Amitabh, has preserved many of Harivansh Rai’s handwritten poems and books. To conserve them in the right place, he has asked sculptor Arzaan Khambatta to create an aesthetic bookcase to line up his father’s memories.

“Amitabh Bachchan called me some time back, asking me to make a bookcase for his father’s books,” revealed Arzaan. The sculptor is planning to shape it in the ‘form of hands’, which appear to be holding these books dearly.

Arzaan says, “Before zeroing in on my plans on the design, shape and form of the bookcase, I would want to take a look at the books and read the poems. It is important for me to know a little more about Dr Bachchan, so that I can peep into his personality and make a sculpture, which befits a person of his stature.” Earlier in 2004 Arzaan had sculpted a figure of Amitabh titled Humble Bee for a channel but landed up gifting it to the superstar on his birthday on October 11. Arzaan says, “Since then we have been in touch. I was really happy when he placed his trust in me.”