When Celebration Meets Responsibility: Amitabh, Dandiya and a Simple Helmet

I watched the short clip of Amitabh Bachchan at his Sunday Jalsa meet — handing out dandiya sticks and, strikingly, helmets to his fans — and felt an odd mix of nostalgia and relief. The footage that has been shared widely online (reported in the press and on social media) captured something more than a celebrity greeting his admirers: it felt like a gentle bridging of two worlds — the old comfort of festival ritual and a modern whisper about safety and care (Hindustan Times; ZoomTV Facebook post).

Why that little moment stayed with me

There are a few reasons the image of a superstar handing out helmets matters beyond the headline:

• Familiarity and humility. A festival like Navratri is deeply communal — it belongs to everyone. When a figure who exists, for many, at an almost mythic remove steps into that shared space, it flattens the distance. It’s not just autograph-signing; it’s a reminder that ritual and joy can be inclusive.

• The helmet as a symbol. Helmets are practical, prosaic. They are an unglamorous form of care. That he chose to give helmets — alongside dandiya, the playful instrument of Navratri — felt symbolic: celebration need not blind us to responsibility.

• Public influence used for small, civic nudges. Celebrities shape behaviour in subtle ways. A visible endorsement of safety — even in the form of handing out helmets — can seed conversations, nudge norms and, perhaps, save a life.

Festivals are not relics; they are living social infrastructure

I grew up watching how festivals held communities together. Navratri, with its music and movement, is social infrastructure: it teaches us how to gather, how to exchange, how to celebrate together. But festivals also evolve. They can be moments to reassert values: empathy, safety, mutual respect.

A public figure using a festival platform to model a small but significant behavior — wearing a helmet, looking after the next person — is an example of how cultural moments can be repurposed for civic good. It’s not patronising; it’s practical.

What this tells me about leadership in public life

We often talk about leadership in political or business terms — policies, budgets, strategies. But leadership also happens in gestures and rituals. There’s bravery in choosing to care in plain sight. It communicates that being famous need not mean being distant from the everyday.

For me, Amitabh’s gesture recalled times when public figures adopted causes simply because they genuinely mattered. No fanfare, no grand announcement — just an act that resonates. In an era where so much of public life is mediated and performative, small, sincere acts feel rarer and therefore more valuable.

A final, personal note

I’m not writing this to lionise a celebrity or to read too much into one afternoon. Rather, I found the scene heartening because it reminded me that cultural rituals and modern concerns can coexist — and that public goodwill can be directed toward meaningful outcomes. Navratri returns every year; it is, in its way, a recurring opportunity to reaffirm what we care about. If a dandiya stick and a helmet together can make even a few people stop and think, then that’s something worth noticing.

(Reported and shared widely online; see coverage on Hindustan Times and the related social posts linked above — Hindustan Times; ZoomTV Facebook post.)

---

Regards,
Hemen Parekh