“A stalwart, a poet, a writer, an enlightened mind and a compassionate being leaves this world,” that's how megastar Amitabh Bachchan began his tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose demise has left the nation mourning.
Despite his prominence as a leader of eminence, Atalji never hesitated to meet up with my father... Particularly on one occasion when my father was admitted to AIIMS hospital in Delhi, Atalji visited him to ask after his condition. I was there. His compassion and concern was most gracious.Amitabh Bachchan.
Lata Mangeshkar felt the same pain when she heard of Vajpayee's demise on Thursday, as she did when she lost her father. The legendary singer led the Indian film industry's tributes to the selfless and beloved titan and statesman.
Lata Mangeshkar: Rishitulya purva pradhan mantri Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji ke swargwas ki vaarta sunke mujhe aise laga jaise mere sar par pahaad toota hai, kyunki main unko pita samaan maanti thi aur unhone mujhe apni beti banaaya tha. Mujhe wo itne priya the ki main unko dadda kehke bulaati thi. Aaj mujhe waisa dukh hua hai jaise mere pitaji ke swargwas ke samay hua tha. Ishwar unki aatma ko shanti de. (The news of respected former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's demise has been shocking. I used to regard him like my father, and he had made me his daughter. He was so dear to me that I used to call him 'Dadda'. I feel the same pain I felt when my father had passed away. May his soul rest in peace.)
His demise led to an outpouring of tributes from the movie world across India, and celebrities also remembered his much-loved poetic streak. Here's what they tweeted.
Resul Pookutty: “At this hour of calamity and insecurity sad to hear of the passing of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, our former Prime Minister and a true statesman. One of the sane voices in the Indian politics. Dear Sir, you will be missed and your tribe, even more in this changing times”.
Vishal Dadlani wrote on Twitter, “A Titan has departed. There was more impact and gravitas in the pauses between his words, than there are in the petty political speeches we hear these days. Atal Bihari Vajpayee.”
Ashoke Pandit wrote, “Atalji was a man of words but today no word would describe the loss India suffers in his death. He wasn't a politician... He was a thought, a vision. Mortal humans perish but a thought always remains alive and grows in the minds and hearts of millions.”
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