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I pray my hunger for acting remains till my last breath: Prosenjit Chatterjee
Kolkata, March 3 (IANS) Bengali matinee idol Prosenjit Chatterjee, who has completed 35 illustrious years in the industry and acted in close to 350 films, feels he still has a lot to offer as an actor and wishes that his “overwhelming hunger for acting” remains till his last breath.
Participating in his very first talk show on stage on Saturday evening, Prosenjit nostalgically recalled different stages of his acting career through the evolving phases of Bengali cinema.
“Many of us have been fighting non-stop as actors, filmmakers, producers to reach out to the audience. I have worked with three generations of directors in my career and even today when I meet a new director with a flair, I ask him whether he is interested doing a film with me. I wish my overwhelming hunger for acting remains till my last breath,” Chatterjee said at the talk show organised by the GD Hospital And Diabetes Institute here.
Noting that Bengali cinema once made its presence felt on the world stage with films made by the ‘revered trinity’ — Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen, Chatterjee said that recent trend of work shows the industry is on the path to recover its lost pride.
“New actors and directors are doing very high quality work and many of their films have got recognition at national and international forums in recent years. It can be said that we are fighting our way back against the criticism that the standard of Bengali cinema is not up to the mark,” Chatterjee said.
“I would urge the audience to be supportive of Bengali cinema and Bengali culture. It is the love and blessings of the audience that has inspired actors like me to keep working and adapt to the changes on the way,” he said.
Chatterjee, who made his debut with Bengali director Bimal Roy’s Duti Pata (1983) — a teenage romance along the lines of Bobby, said such was his love for acting and cinema that during his early years he sometimes shot for more than 20 hours a day.
“It is a fact that in spite of being in Kolkata, I could not return home for 16 days at a stretch as I was shooting for films back-to-back. I used to stay back at the studio in those days,” he said.
Asked whether he would like to join politics given his proximity to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Chatterjee said he would not as he believes one should stick to the work one is best at.
“I will say ‘Amake aamar moto thakte dao’ (let me be the way I am),” said Chatterjee quoting a famous song of one of his films.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.