Amitabh Bachchan turns 84, says sorry to fans kept waiting at Jalsa gate

Amitabh Bachchan celebrated his 84th birthday on Sunday, a date that fell on the same day as his weekly meeting with admirers outside Jalsa, his home in Juhu. Reports say he greeted the gathering from a raised platform while people filmed him on their phones.

On his blog, the actor thanked well-wishers for the warmth and care they brought to the celebrations. He also apologised to his fans, whom he calls the Ef family, for leaving them at the Jalsa gate until very late at night without coming out. He promised to meet them later in the day.

In Ahmedpur, in Latur district, students of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan Vidyalaya honoured the star with music built on his father's poetry. Teacher Prabhavati Yadav said the children sang poems by the Hindi poet Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan in their own voices and performed dances. They also stood in a human chain shaped like the number 84.

The performances are part of 'Madhushala to Gyanashala', a project the government-aided school started for its 20th anniversary. Students have recorded the poet's work along with lessons in Hindi, Marathi and English for an audio library that opens with a QR code. The school calls it India's first such knowledge bank made by children. Founder Nivrutti Yadav said the zero-cost idea is meant to get children learning by listening and spending less time on phones and games.

Separately, the Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan Prabodhan Pratishthan, an NGO, gave out bicycles, sewing machines and study materials in Babupatti, the poet's native village, Yadav said.