Bollywood celebrities pay tribute to their teachers

Bollywood’s big guns came out in droves to celebrate the Hindu festival of ‘Guru Purnima’ on July 5, by paying tribute to their spiritual teachers or gurus. Leading the pack were celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Raveena Tandon, Manoj Bajpayee and Nimrat Kaur, among others, who expressed their gratitude towards their teachers.

Bachchan took to social media to share greetings on Guru Purnima. The veteran actor also shared a picture of his father, late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan on Instagram, writing: “Poet Kabir says, that individual is blinded if he doth ignore or show no belief in the guru; for if the Lord be upset, then doth the Guru give solace, but when the Guru be upset then there be no comforting solace, no other path.. without the guru, there be no knowledge; without knowledge there be no sacrament; without sacrament there be no culture; without culture there be no conduct; without conduct there be no respect ; without respect there be no humanness; greetings on guru purnima .. my deference on the feet of my guru.”

‘The Family Man’ star Manoj Bajpayee also posted a humble message as a dedication to all his teachers. “On the occasion of GURU PURNIMA I bow down to all my Gurus who shaped me and gave me a clear direction without which I would have been a lost man with no knowledge and purpose!”

Bollywood showman Subhash Ghai wrote: “GURU PURNIMA. The word guru comes from the two Sanskrit words agu’+’ru’. Gu’ means ignorance or darkness and ‘ru’ means the removal of darkness. Gurus are named so because they remove the darkness from our lives by teaching us the right things and showing us the right path.”

Filmmaker Kunal Kohli paid tribute to some of the legends of Bollywood past. “#GuruPurnima like Eklavya I had gurus who didn’t directly teach me but yet taught me everything. Yash Chopra. Guru Dutt. Raj Khosla. Raj Kapoor. Manoj Kumar. Vijay Anand. Subhash Ghai. @MaheshNBhatt @shekharkapur.”

‘Homeland’ star Nimrat Kaur also paid tribute to her teachers in life. “Eternally grateful for all the learnings from my loved ones who continue to inspire, teach by example and bless me with their unending warmth and care day upon day. In awe of the the way this great human pause of life, has been our most prolific teacher and guide,” she wrote.

Actor Randeep Hooda shared a picture with veteran star Naseeruddin Shah and wrote: “Enroute the premier of my 1st movie #MonsoonWedding #Venice then costar #NaseeruddinShah Saab..not knowing then what a profound, lasting impact he was to have on me as an actor..like he has had on countless others over decades..for the love of it #GuruPurnima.”

Shilpa Shetty Kundra chose to take a more spiritual route. “I believe, more than being religious, I’m spiritually inclined. My Guru, My Sai, shows me the way and direction...When you have Faith, or follow a guru, you must do so implicitly and have belief in his vision... whether it’s a living Guru or God/Universe.” She continued: “Faith is the bedrock of success or satisfaction. This Guru Purnima, look inward and keep unwavering faith, that it’s all happening for the best... and only the BEST will unfold.”

Actress Raveena Tandon posted: “#gurupurnima faith love and blessings always. From my #Sai and my Papa, #ravitandon, my creators who taught me all. Honesty, Humility, Humanity. Always gave me the strength to pick myself up collect the pieces and walk again. Forever indebted.”

Actor Sanjay Dutt put out a heart-warming post on Twitter featuring a monochromatic throwback picture of parents Sunil and Nargis Dutt as he remembered them as his gurus (teachers). In the picture, Dutt is seen standing next to his father while the latter smiles. The frame also captures ‘Mother India’ star Nargis who is seen embracing her beaming smile.

Dia Mirza extended greetings on the day by sharing a quote in Sanskrit on Twitter. Her tweet read, “To all those wonderful beings that enrich our lives with their wisdom and compassion. To all our teachers, to those that teach unknowingly, to the one’s we seek out to learn from, #HappyGuruPoornima”