Amitabh Bachchan sent a handwritten letter to Saiyami Kher, who played a para-athlete in R Balki’s sports drama Ghoomer.
Saiyami shared the letter and some pictures on Instagram on Sunday. In one of the pictures, she was sitting on a chair holding the letter and a flower bouquet was placed next to her. The next picture showcases Amitabh Bachchan’s letter dated August 19, 2023, that read, “Saiyami, In admiration–your grit, your sincerity, your level-headedness performance, and the brilliance of your presence in Ghoomer. May the accolades never diminish for you. Love and regard (Amitabh’s signature).” The last picture showed Saiyami standing near BigB in the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) 15 from her recent appearance.
Sharing the pictures, Saiyami penned a long note that read, “I remember seeing a short film called “Looking for Amitabh” on how the visually challenged perceive this icon. From describing his trademark baritone to the sound of his shoes, or the scent of his perfume. We don’t even see Mr. Bachchan, but we can experience the impact created by this superstar.”
“As a kid, the signature KBC tune meant it was bedtime. My parents would come back from work. And my grandparents would finish up their chores. Despite our diverse interests and age gaps, this one show brought three generations together,” she continued.
She further added, “If there was a contestant who gushed over Mr. Bachchan, Aiedu, my grandmom would sit preening about him. She did this until her last breath. He was, after all, from her part of the country. Any compliment to him obviously meant a compliment to her. He represented the heartlands of our country. He represented the fulfilment of dreams. He represented hope.”
“Since I began acting, there have been many ups and downs. There were so many people who brushed me off telling me I was “hopeless”. But I tried keeping my head above the water. While every rejection hurt, every rejection also made me work harder.”
“I’ve always kept everything bottled up. At the premiere of Ghoomer in Melbourne, everybody was sobbing. “Show some emotion Kher saab”, AB said as he hugged me after our standing ovation. But I stood there seemingly zen about everything. In reel life I can cry buckets, in real life, you will never know how I’m feeling,” she added.
Concluding her lengthy note, she wrote, “Yesterday, as I sat at home pondering my fate, someone rang the doorbell. There was a bouquet of flowers and a handwritten note. My heart skipped a beat. Is this what I think it is? THE stamp of approval which every actor in this country dreams of? I looked up to the skies and finally bawled, ‘Look what this is, Aiedu.’ Hope. Thank you @amitabhbachchan Sir (red heart).”
Reacting to her post, Abhishek Bachchan, her Ghoomer co-star commented with a hug and red heart emoji.
Directed by R Balki, Ghoomer features Abhishek Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, and Angad Bedi in prominent roles. Abhishek portrays the character of a coach whose life takes a surprising twist after encountering a paraplegic sportsperson, portrayed by Saiyami Kher.
See Also: Exclusive: Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher on what makes their film Ghoomer a film about hope