Bollywood actor and Indian parliamentarian Shatrughan Sinha was felicitated on Sunday evening at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Dubai by prominent Indian community members in the UAE for receiving the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award 2017.
Sinha, whose 2016 biography Anthing But Khamosh went on to become a bestseller in India, recounted his journey from Patna in Bihar to the Pune Film Institute in Maharashtra. He recalled his initial struggle in Bollywood and his eventual success, and his life as a politician.
The 71-year-old actor said when a plain-looking ‘scarface’ like him could make it big in Bollywood, anyone could. His advice to the younger generation was: “If you can’t be better than the rest, at least try to be different.”
Regarding his biography, Sinha said it is “a transparent, inspiring and gripping” book that includes “not only black and white but grey shades as well”.
He said he has no allegations of any kind against him as an actor or as a politician. Sinha, who was the Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare, said he would always support anybody who approaches him for social, noble, creative and constructive causes such as cancer awareness campaigns and drives against smoking and tobacco.
Vipul, Consul General of India to UAE in Dubai, who spoke on the occasion, said Sinha is as a great parliamentarian as he is an actor who has held his ministerial posts with utmost sincerity.
Rajan Sippy, an Indian businessman in the UAE who has acted in a few Bollywood films and had produced a film with Sinha and Dimple Kapadia, praised Sinha as a great star, a trend-setter and an outspoken leader.
