National
Famous Writer-actor-filmmaker Neeraj Vora dead at 54
Mumbai : Bollywood’s multi-faceted talent Neeraj Vora, an actor, writer and director known for his humorous streak on and off screen, died here early on Thursday, months after being comatose, his family member said.
Vora’s younger brother Uttank Vora said that he died at 4 a.m. at a Andheri hospital. Vora was 54.
“He will be taken to Firoz Nadiadwala’s house Barkat from where he will be taken to the Santa Cruz Electric Crematorium at 3 p.m.,” Uttank Vora said.
Neeraj Vora wrote “Rangeela”, directed “Phir Hera Pheri” and acted in “Bol Bachchan” among several other projects.
For months altogether, a room in filmmaker Firoz Nadiadwala’s home was converted into a fully functional ICU for Vora.
Nadiadwala mourned his demise, saying: I’ve lost the battle to save my brother and friend from the clutches of death. His health had improved so much. But it deteriorated suddenly on Friday (December 8).
“He had to be shifted to hospital. But it was of no use. We lost him.”
Born in a Gujarati family, Vora came to be known in the film industry for the way he tackled humour through his acting, writing and directorial projects.
He was also closely associated with theatre. In fact, “Golmaal: Fun Unlimited”, which started the hit comedy franchise, was based on the Gujarati play “Aflatoon” by Mihir Bhuta and Neeraj. They had adapted from it from Harsh Shivsharan’s original Marathi play “Ghar-Ghar”
Neeraj had an acting stint on television with shows like “Circus” and “Naya Nukkad”, while on the film front, he made the audience laugh with roles in “Daud: Fun on the Run”, “Hello Brother”, “Bol Bachchan” and “Welcome Back”.
As a writer, he worked on films like “Rangeela”, “Akele Hum Akele Tum”, “Josh”, “Badshah”, “Chori Chori Chupke Chupke”, “Awara Paagal Deewana”, “Deewane Huye Paagal”, “Ajnabee” and “Hera Pheri” and “Phir Hera Pheri”.
His directorial projects include “Khiladi 420” and “Phir Hera Pheri”. He was to direct “Hera Pheri III”, but uncertainty loomed large over the project after he suffered a stroke in October 2016.
Early tributes and condolences to Vora from the film world included names like Paresh Rawal and Rahul Dholakia.
“Neeraj Vora – The writer and director of ‘Phir Hera Pheri’ and many hit films is no more… Aum Shanti,” Paresh tweeted.
Actor Tusshara Kapoor said: “Shocked and saddened to hear of the demise of Neeraj Voraji. Had cast me for ‘Golmaal’ and directed me in the unreleased ‘Run Bhola Run’. RIP sir.”
Dholakia described him as “one of India’s finest humorist screenwriter”, while actor Parvin Dabas said he was “one of the most brilliant comic minds in Hindi cinema”.
“He was a friend, relative and also the writer of my first ‘Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar’. R.I.P,” Dholaia said.
Actor Viveck Vaswani remembered Neeraj, with whom he was friends since they did “Raju” together.
Writer Milap Zaveri said: “You will surely make the heavens laugh.”
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.