The wedding that the nation gatecrashed into is over. Amitabh Bachchan speaks on the controversies and the high points of the Abhishek-Ash union.

What�s your state of mind now that everything went off so well?

It is no different from what it was before. I was happy then, I am happy now. God has been kind and the good wishes of friends and relatives and the people of this country have been heart warming. I thank them for so willingly sharing with us our joy and happiness.

Do you think the wedding remained as personal an affair as the family had wanted?

Yes it did... absolutely.

The guest list, of course, created quite a heartburn among many people. Was that expected?

The media has created the heartburn... may be they talk for themselves. But for us as a family there has been no such occurrence. The situation was sympathetically understood by all, with a lot of compassion.

Did you expect the media backlash after the wedding?

What backlash? There is none. Media has reported religiously what they felt, as they should. Within the given circumstances, they did what was expected of them.

Did you feel the excessive media scrutiny at the wedding was unwarranted?

This is an amusing question. You do the scrutiny and then you question it!

Can it be construed that you are truly unbiased or is it a penchant for good copy?

Ha...ha... No, but seriously though, do you honestly think that we can ever question your scrutiny? The media is the only incorruptible, honest, and fair medium in the country. They are beyond question and compare. They can never be excessive. So, you did your job as diligently as you could. That�s it. Wedding over. Job done. Move on to the next story.

When you apologised to the media, did you feel there was a real need for it or did you do so because the media protests were becoming more vocal?

I think you demean my sincerity in what I did. Anyway, we can only comment, not question. No, I felt like it and so I apologized. Protests against us have been a part of our family even before your parents were born. And we dealt and lived with them. No form of negativity is good news and we would rather not be a victim of it. But, if it still comes our way, we will stand up to it, as we have through generations of similar episodes. The family tried so hard to keep the wedding a private affair but, in spite of that, pictures of the wedding were splashed everywhere.

How did that happen? Are you going to sue the offender?

We never tried hard at all to keep the wedding private. You tried hard to make it public. Surreptitious photos will always exist on occasions like this. With today�s modern technology nothing is hidden for long. We know what our private moments were and they are secure. That�s all that matters. No we are not suing the offender. What will we achieve?

Is it true that the rights of the marriage were sold to a foreign publication?

No! Incorrect and false.

How does it feel to have Aishwarya as the bahu of the house?

Wonderful.

Your comment on the midnight drama created by Jhanvi Kapoor outside your house during the wedding festivities.

We are all unaware of it.

What gift did you and Jayaji give the newly weds?

An open arms (sic) welcome into our hearts.

What was the happiest moment during the wedding celebrations?

From the moment Aishwarya said yes to Abhishek.

And the most emotional moment?

A moment during the rituals of the marriage and the moment of the bidai in Aishwarya�s house as she bid farewell to her parents � I was reminded of the time my own daughter left our home at the time of her bidai.

What�s your advice to Ash and Abhishek?

Regarding what? They are grown up, mature individuals, they need no advice.

When can we see you and the newly weds on screen?

Soon I hope.

Don�t you feel all of you have earned a much-needed holiday after the frenzy of the wedding?

Thank you. We shall give it a serious thought.

Is it going to be Aishwarya Rai or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?

By her own choice, she has signed Aishwarya Bachchan in her recent autographs.