ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
“Veteran Bollywood legends should never be forgotten. Old is literally gold, when it comes to their precious cinematic contributions,” proclaimed ‘guest’ director Raj Kumar Santoshi (of the runaway hit ‘Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani’ fame) at a recently held spectacular event titled ‘Immortal Memories’.
The glitzy event, a first of its kind in Bollywood history to honour 16 veteran living legends of Hindi cinema, was convened in Mumbai by noted Bollywood movie producers Ashok Shekhar and M V Balagiri. It was truly a night to remember with a large number of legendary guests mingling with popular young Hindi film personalities.
Among the notable legends who were honored on the occasion was actor-director Manoj Kumar (popularly nicknamed “Mr Bhaarat” for his landmark patriotic movies like ‘Purab Aur Paschim’. ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh’ and ‘Upkaar’ ), yesteryear actress Asha Parekh, producer Kiran V. Shantaram , yesteryear actress Nimmi, ‘evergreen’ actress Aruna Irani, music composer Ravi, action master Veeru Devgan (father of star-actor Ajay Devgan), director Babubhai Mistry and vibrant radio broadcaster Ameen Sayani.
The galaxy of Bollywood dignitaries present as guests also included filmmaker Yash Chopra, actor-wrestler Dara Singh, director Rajkumar Santoshi, Govinda, Salma Agha, composer Anu Malik, funster Johnny Lever, Sayali Bhagat, Gulshan Grover and Aditya Panscholi.
According to Ashok Shekhar, several top-ranking Bollywood stars like Ajay Devgan, Mithun Chakraborty, and Shah Rukh Khan were very keen on attending their event but could not make it as they were genuinely held-up elsewhere out of town. “The event has bridged the generation gap so beautifully. Most of the legends some of them over 75 years of age had tears of ecstasy flowing in their eyes,” revealed Ashok Shekhar, who also happens to be the son of veteran actor Chandrashekhar.
Gushed Govinda, “If today our Hindi film-industry is thriving globally, it’s mainly because of the firm foundations laid several decades ago, by all these pioneer legends, whom I humbly salute.” Conspicuous by his absence, Shah Rukh declared rushed an SMS, “I would have loved to attend this event specially in view of honouring Manoj Kumar saahab, only if I had not already committed my dates, elsewhere.”
“Veteran Bollywood legends should never be forgotten. Old is literally gold, when it comes to their precious cinematic contributions,” proclaimed ‘guest’ director Raj Kumar Santoshi (of the runaway hit ‘Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani’ fame) at a recently held spectacular event titled ‘Immortal...
“Veteran Bollywood legends should never be forgotten. Old is literally gold, when it comes to their precious cinematic contributions,” proclaimed ‘guest’ director Raj Kumar Santoshi (of the runaway hit ‘Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani’ fame) at a recently held spectacular event titled ‘Immortal Memories’.
The glitzy event, a first of its kind in Bollywood history to honour 16 veteran living legends of Hindi cinema, was convened in Mumbai by noted Bollywood movie producers Ashok Shekhar and M V Balagiri. It was truly a night to remember with a large number of legendary guests mingling with popular young Hindi film personalities.
Among the notable legends who were honored on the occasion was actor-director Manoj Kumar (popularly nicknamed “Mr Bhaarat” for his landmark patriotic movies like ‘Purab Aur Paschim’. ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh’ and ‘Upkaar’ ), yesteryear actress Asha Parekh, producer Kiran V. Shantaram , yesteryear actress Nimmi, ‘evergreen’ actress Aruna Irani, music composer Ravi, action master Veeru Devgan (father of star-actor Ajay Devgan), director Babubhai Mistry and vibrant radio broadcaster Ameen Sayani.
The galaxy of Bollywood dignitaries present as guests also included filmmaker Yash Chopra, actor-wrestler Dara Singh, director Rajkumar Santoshi, Govinda, Salma Agha, composer Anu Malik, funster Johnny Lever, Sayali Bhagat, Gulshan Grover and Aditya Panscholi.
According to Ashok Shekhar, several top-ranking Bollywood stars like Ajay Devgan, Mithun Chakraborty, and Shah Rukh Khan were very keen on attending their event but could not make it as they were genuinely held-up elsewhere out of town. “The event has bridged the generation gap so beautifully. Most of the legends some of them over 75 years of age had tears of ecstasy flowing in their eyes,” revealed Ashok Shekhar, who also happens to be the son of veteran actor Chandrashekhar.
Gushed Govinda, “If today our Hindi film-industry is thriving globally, it’s mainly because of the firm foundations laid several decades ago, by all these pioneer legends, whom I humbly salute.” Conspicuous by his absence, Shah Rukh declared rushed an SMS, “I would have loved to attend this event specially in view of honouring Manoj Kumar saahab, only if I had not already committed my dates, elsewhere.”
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