Big B helps women escape Mumbai rains

As heavy rains continue to cripple normal life here, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan also found his home and office in the suburbs inundated.

Rain water filled up the lawns of Bachchan's home "Prateeksha" in Juhu and the ground floor of his office "Janak" located nearby as rains lashed the city and suburbs since Monday night and the downpour continued throughout the day yesterday.

The 66-year-old actor, who is recuperating from stomach pain, was constantly on the move from "Prateeksha" to his other bungalow "Jalsa" and the office helping his staff to shift his belongings from the ground floor to higher positions.

"Prateeksha is inundated. The road outside is in waist- deep water and the lawn, even though it is built on a rise, has been filled up and threatening to push the rain into the house. As I prepare to move furniture and stuff from the ground to higher positions, mini waves drift in from the road into the driveway and reach the first step into the house," Bachchan wrote on his blog.

"Water has entered into the reception area and the staff, bare footed pants rolled up, are frantically trying to clear drains of any obstruction so the water can flow out. But flow out where? On to the road which is waist-deep itself. It shall all come back!"

"Everywhere there is just chaos. It's a sea of water all over. Pass by the office Janak and the staff is getting ready to climb on to the tree by the gate! Water inside the premise and the ground floor is unworkable," Bachchan wrote on his blog.

"Jalsa is relatively dry. The road opposite now a swimming pool but the basement has a beach. A huge gaping hole has been punctured and buckets and water pumps are being put to use to avoid the electronic panels that are housed there from blowing up," he added.

"At Jalsa, the water in the bedrooms has leaked through despite the tarpaulin protection. I told my staff to fill up water in buckets from the rain outside and store it just in case the power goes and the pumps get disconnected," Bachchan wrote.

Big B did his bit by giving lifts to a few women in his car to help them escape the Mumbai rains that have jammed life in India's financial capital for the last three days.

"I muster up courage and help and pull out the SUV...that's the only one that shall go through in all this mess, and float out into the streets now jammed with people wading through and the cars blocking any movement.

"I open the door, well just about, to assist a few young ladies in distress who were beginning to lose their composure, and give them a ride towards Jalsa. Everywhere there is just chaos,” Amitabh posted in a recent entry on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com .