The clock inches toward 5.30 pm and the crowd gets restive. It’s a sultry Sunday evening, beachgoers at Juhu are sipping on tender coconuts, chauffeurs lounging outside bungalows. But this street in suburban Mumbai that hosts Bollywood’s most famous address is bustling with anticipation. Jalsa, true to its name, is preparing for a weekly festival of sound and light. To make the wait bearable, large pedestal fans rotate air gently in the direction of the visitors. Water coolers stand ready to quench their thirst; many have journeyed from remote corners of the country.

Cries of ‘Ganpati bappa morya’ can be heard. It’s an affectionate shout-out to Mumbai’s presiding deity who is considered a remover of obstacles. Cameras are flashing. Suddenly, at a mere suggestion of movement from within, a roar erupts. From behind grand gates, the social media team emerges with cameras to document the moment when real life will intersect with a world of fantasy. Some wave frantically as lenses train to capture the euphoria.

At the appointed time, the traffic halts for the impending spectacle. “It’s a scene reminiscent of ancient kingdoms heralding the arrival of their revered monarch,” says Avnish Ravikanth, a Juhu resident who often strolls by on Sundays to catch a glimpse of the “living legend”. He’s only half joking.

Finally, the gates open, and to the accompaniment of screams, shouts and laughter, Amitabh Bachchan, 81, walks up and climbs a wooden dais. He’s wearing a jacket and looks taller. He smiles, waves with one hand and then the other, greets everyone with a “namaskaar”, points specifically to those at the rear to acknowledge their presence, even gestures that he’s willing to sign autographs later. The moment is fleeting but Pooja Vishnoi, a 28-year-old techie visiting from Jaipur, remembers the experience afterwards as “a whirlwind of admiration and awe”.

Gopal Bhatia, a 56-year-old resident of Kalyan who often escorts relatives visiting from north India to the Sunday darshan, believes that the blend of real-life persona with on-screen characters is what cements Amitabh Bachchan’s status as a superstar even today. A businessman himself, Bhatia can identify with the resilience with which the actor bounced back from bankruptcy after his talent agency-cumevent managing firm, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd (ABCL), tanked in 1999. It’s a story that’s been told and retold and has a narrative that vindicates the faith of every admirer. “He had creditors at his door. Yet he resurrected his career and reached even greater heights of stardom. How can one not be inspired by such a comeback?” says Bhatia.

Indeed, Bachchan is a man of comebacks, the one who returns to avenge his mother, or fulfil an oath made to a loyal friend, regardless of the price to be paid. The legend of his resurgence begins with a near fatal accident in 1982 on the sets of Coolie. A serious injury in the gut led to an emergency sur gery at St Philomena’s in Bangalore (now Bengaluru) after which he was flown to Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai, where he was declared “clinically dead for a couple of minutes,” in his own words, before doctors managed to revive him with massive doses of steroids. The 81-year-old’s darshans on Sundays began then as a thanksgiving for the blessings of his well-wishers.

This weekly ritual has now woven itself into the social fabric of the city for four decades, a testament to the enduring adoration for an icon. It has no parallel or precedent anywhere: the Marlon Brandos and Clint Eastwoods of Hollywood have never expressed so much gratitude to their fans; Kollywood filmgoers have elected their idols as chief ministers but neither demanded nor received an emotionally transactional relationship; even in Bollywood, at the height of Rajesh Khanna’s fame, the frenzy of fans outside his sea-facing bungalow on Carter Road was rarely reciprocated. Among the present lot, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan wave and blow kisses to the multitudes outside their homes on a special occasion like a birthday, but that’s about it.

Bachchan’s appearances have the air of a social engagement. The gathering includes the Extended Family (EF), as it’s known. Some are familiar faces to him. Prashant Kawadia, a Mumbai suburbanite, who has achieved a milestone of attending over 240 such darshans, says, “Bachchan has a unique way of cherishing and nurturing his admirers, which sets him apart.”

Kawadia has attended several episodes of the quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ anchored by the actor. Years back, when Bachchan hosted a party for ardent fans — he addresses them as “EF” in his blog posts — Kawadia was among the 14 Indian invitees and 10 overseas guests.

According to him, no star possesses the magnetic appeal that his idol exudes — the impact extends to public causes he champions. Born in 1979, Kawadia’s life took a significant turn when he contracted polio as a toddler. Back then in India, children from affluent backgrounds or those in urban areas were among the fortunate ones to receive a vaccine. In 2002, during a surge in polio incidence, Bachchan became brand ambassador for the “Do Boondh Zindagi Ki” campaign that played a pivotal role in eradicating the disease in India. “Since 2011, no babies have been born with polio — a remarkable accomplishment. What greater gift can a star offer to the world?” says Kawadia.

If those regaled by the actor’s charisma in the dark of an auditorium or the solitude of their homes feel a sense of kinship, Bachchan relates to them just as much. In May 2023, the actor shared thoughts on how he would hurry back from work to be present at the gates of Jalsa (GOJ) at the chosen hour. “Rush rush rush .. !! Rush through the work and the day to be presentable at the GOJ .. and made it in enough time to be at the box .. and to greet and send the love for the well-wishers of the Sunday.”

There is even an occasional lament when fewer people show up. Post-Covid, the star wrote, “I do observe though that the numbers are in lesser magnitude and the enthusiasm has lessened and the screams of joy now transferred to the mobile camera .. and that is more evident now an indication that time has moved on and nothing lasts forever.” It seemed as much a comment on the transient nature of stardom.

What could Pooja Vishnoi, 28-yearold techie from Jaipur, S K Marvada, middle-aged painter from Bhuj, Belgian-born chartered accountant Sonia Saharan, and Lekhraj Kasabh, labourer from Pathankot, possibly have in common? They represent a cross-section of weekly visitors at the gates of Jalsa. Evidently, the shape-shifting nature of Bachchan’s craft speaks to a diverse and multi-generational audience.

While older generations continue to relish classics like Sholay, Namak Haram, and Namak Halal, the more recent Piku, Pink, Wazir, and Paa captivate millennials. With more than 200 movies, numerous songs, overseas concerts, public awareness campaigns, brand advertisements and the KBC TV quiz show which he has hosted non-stop since 2000 (barring a season in 2007 done by Shah Rukh Khan), it’s a career that can be feted for its longevity alone: he has been in business since 1969 when he lent his baritone to Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome.

His powers of reinvention and his ability to discern changing tastes are spoken of by collaborators. He knew the Angry Young Man that he played repeatedly was a thing of the past by the mid-90s; it was replaced by a more realistic, restrained and sometimes magisterial presence. Vishnoi, the techie from Jaipur whose favourite films are Pink and Piku, says, “The love for Bachchan spans generations in my family. It’s a shared passion that I can discuss with my parents. Sometimes, my father even reenacts his iconic scenes.” She had carved out time from her work schedule to visit Jalsa during a brief three-day stint in Mumbai.

Others have travelled across the globe. A quartet of friends from Belgium, Holland and Suriname have come with a large banner that reads, “Autograph please. We are here from Belgium.” Sonia Saharan says the allure of Bachchan was something she experienced growing up in Belgium. Saharan and her Dutch friend, Sharmila Mitrasing, recall their families going to great lengths to source video cassettes and DVDs of his blockbusters. “His films are wholesome. There’s always a lesson to be learned.”

Finally, when the moment arrives and Bachchan appears with folded hands, the feeling it evokes in many is the nostalgia of a bygone era when movies like Khuda Gawah, Hum, and Agneepath captivated them with larger-than-life narratives and charismatic performances. An overwhelmed Lekhraj bows down. It is the end of his journey.

Dressed in a suit with a woollen scarf and polished shoes, ‘Jai Amitabh Bachchan’ tattooed on his forearm, this tempo driver from Pathankot had travelled to Mumbai weeks ago to meet “tauji (father’s elder brother)”. He even took on odd jobs on construction sites and restaurants in the city to sustain himself because Bachchan had failed to turn up for two Sundays in a row due to travel commitments. “I have seen all his movies, some of them more than 50 times.”

He is carrying albums with pictures of the actor and letters written by him. There are photos of every October 11 celebration when he ordered cakes to mark the actor’s birthday. “Not only has he written back to me, but also sent photo frames of his family. Which superstar would go to the extent of doing that?” He cries, squats on the floor and after the crowd disperses, he moves towards the gates of Jalsa to touch his head to the ground.

The finale is, of course, provided by Bachchan himself later. Offerings from fans like Lekhraj are signed and returned, to show he cares. There’s a line immortalised by the superstar – “Mard ko dard nahi hota”. In Bachchan’s case, nothing would be further from the truth. He has doubts about whether fans will turn up next Sunday. “Will they .. won’t they .. ? The eternal question mark before the GOJ,” he said once in a blog. “That Chaplin question .. the presence at the Academy Awards for a Lifetime Achievement presentation for him, after returning to USA, from a sort of exile, being labelled a Communist, which was a misnomer .. and the ask as he stands backstage to be brought on and decorated ..‘will they clap for me ..’?

(Text from Amitabh Bachchan’s tweets and blog posts has been reproduced unedited)