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Amitabh Bachchan Shares Father's Wisdom on Life's Endless Struggle at 4 AM

Amitabh Bachchan shared a poignant late-night note recalling his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's perspective that struggle is intrinsic to life. He drew a parallel between this philosophy and a similar sentiment found in the poetry of his father's contemporary, Firaq Gorakhpuri. The actor reflected on the profound silence of the early morning as a time for true connection with oneself. He concluded with a wry observation on the modern world where everyone has become a commentator and communicator.

Key Points: Amitabh Bachchan on Father's Life Philosophy & Firaq Gorakhpuri

  • Life is a continuous struggle
  • Poetic philosophies compared
  • Reflection in silent night hours
  • Critique of social media culture
2 min read

Big B recalls 'babuji' Harivansh Rai Bachchan's words on life's endless struggle

Amitabh Bachchan recalls poet father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's words on life's struggle, drawing parallels with poet Firaq Gorakhpuri in a late-night reflection.

"Beta, jab tak jeevan hai, tab tak sangharsh hai - Harivansh Rai Bachchan"

Mumbai, Feb 3

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the quiet hours of the night shared a deeply introspective note on life, struggle and silence, drawing a moving parallel between the thoughts of his father, the late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and eminent Urdu poet Firaq Gorakhpuri.

Recalling a conversation with his "pujya babuji," the actor wrote that he once spoke about how life is filled with struggle.

"Pujya Babuji se ek din aise hi main keh raha tha ki jeevan mein bada sangharsh hai. Unka uttar aaya, 'Beta, jab tak jeevan hai, tab tak sangharsh hai' (As long as there is life, there is struggle). Abhi ek pustak dekh raha tha Firaq Gorakhpuri ji ki, jismein unka ek sher mila (sic)."

The reflection led the cine icon to a sher by Firaq Gorakhpuri, a contemporary and close friend of his father, noting how strikingly similar their emotions and philosophies were. He also mentioned that both poets belonged to the Kayastha community, while emphasising that the late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan never believed in casteism.

"Firaq Gorakhpuri ji was the eminent poet from Allahabad , now Prayagraj and a contemporary of Babuji .. they were close friends too .. his poetry was embellished in Urdu .. he was a Kayast .... a caste , a social order prevalent , a stratum an echelon - Hinduism .. the same as Babuji , who, as I have mentioned often, never believed in casteism... !!! look how similar their words and emotions be (sic)."

Sharing that it was nearly 4 am on February 3 as he penned the post, the actor spoke about the power of silence in the stillness of the night, calling it a space where one truly connects with oneself.

"Yes, it is almost 4 am of the 3rd of February 2026 and I sit in the silence of the night to connect... the silence speaks louder than any thought occupying your mind the entire day .. a refreshing moment of calm and peace .. until you fall into the guile and enticement of the social media... (sic)."

He concluded: "Oh ! what a wonderful World we live in .. where the side and alternate profession of the 8.2 billion humans is .. journalism , communicator , opinion maker ,informer , collaborator , fifth columnist .. et al (sic)."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Beautiful to see him honor his father's legacy and connect it with Firaq Gorakhpuri's poetry. The emphasis on rejecting casteism is so important, especially today. We need more public figures to remind us of our shared humanity beyond these man-made divisions.
R
Rohit P
His point about silence is so true! In our noisy cities and with constant phone notifications, we've forgotten how to just sit quietly. Maybe that's why our elders were wiser – they had time for contemplation. Need to try this 4 am silence thing, though my alarm for office is at 6! 😅
M
Michael C
While the sentiment is beautiful, I find it a bit ironic that this reflection on silence and struggle is shared on... social media. The very "guile and enticement" he mentions. Perhaps a handwritten note in a diary would be more authentic to the message? Just a thought.
S
Shreya B
Harivansh Rai Bachchan's "Madhushala" has gotten me through tough times. To see his son, a legend himself, still drawing strength from his father's words is heartwarming. It's a reminder for all of us to value our parents' wisdom. Truly, some truths are timeless.
K
Karthik V
The last part about everyone being a journalist on social media is spot on! WhatsApp forwards, Twitter opinions... sometimes I miss the time when wisdom came from poets like Babuji and Firaq sahab, not from random viral posts. We need to return to that depth of thought.

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