The 65th birthday would rank as the Big B's quietest yet. His son was shooting in Namibia for Goldie Behl's Drona and his daughter-in-law was wrapping up the Pink Panther in Boston while wife Jaya was down with a bout of flu. Added to these problems was the constant worry of having a severely ill mother on his hands.

Says a close friend of Mr Bachchan, "He wrapped up his shooting by evening on the eve of his birthday and headed straight for the hospital to be with his mom. That's where he brought in his birthday. Being with his mother gave him an inner strength and tranquility that only a devoted son knows about. And sons, let me tell, don't come any more devoted than this one."

Mr Bachchan himself, bogged down by family, media and legal pressures politely refused to do interviews this birthday. "What's there to say? A birthday is like any other day for me. Yes, friends, fans and supporters make it a very special day for me. I accept their good wishes with tremendous humility and gratitude."