NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, DEC 25
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar on Sunday paid floral tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his Birth Anniversary at his memorial Sadaiv Atal.
PM @narendramodi pays floral tributes to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Sadaiv Atal. pic.twitter.com/6ssL8paMYh
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) December 25, 2022
“Tributes to Atal Ji on his Jayanti. His contribution to India is indelible. His leadership and vision motivate millions of people,” tweeted Prime Minister Modi.
Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi pays tribute to former PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Parliament. https://t.co/LMiopBoQKs
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (Modi Ka Parivar) (@JPNadda) December 25, 2022
Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16 1996 to June 1 1996 and again from 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004. He had also served as India’s External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979. He passed away at AIIMS hospital in Delhi on 16 August 2018.
- Pankaj Tripathi to essay role of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in biopic
- Written by Utkarsh Naithani and directed by three-time National Award-winner Ravi Jadhav, the film will revolve around the journey of Vajpayee, one of the co-founders and a senior leader of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
- Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16 1996 to June 1 1996 and again from 19 March 1998 to 22 May 2004.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and union minister Hardeep Singh Puri were among several dignitaries who offered their tribute to the late Prime Minister.
After coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in order to honour the former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient, had declared that December 25 would be celebrated as Good Governance Day every year.
Pankaj Tripathi to essay role of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in biopic
Actor Pankaj Tripathi is set to play the role of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a biopic titled “Main Rahoon Ya Na Rahoon Yeh Desh Rehna Chahiye- ATAL”, the makers announced Friday.
Written by Utkarsh Naithani and directed by three-time National Award-winner Ravi Jadhav, the film will revolve around the journey of Vajpayee, one of the co-founders and a senior leader of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
Tripathi said he feels honoured to play the role of an iconic multi-faceted personality like Vajpayee.
“It is an honour to portray such a humane politician on screen. He was not just a politician but so much more, he was an excellent writer and a renowned poet. Getting to be in his shoes is nothing but a privilege for an actor like me,” the 46-year-old actor said in a statement.
Jadhav, best known for helming Marathi movies “Natarang” and “Balgandharva”, said it is a golden opportunity for him to direct a film on the late leader with a talented actor like Tripathi.
“For me as a director, I couldn’t have asked for any better story than that of Atalji. On top of this, having an exemplary actor like Pankaj Tripathy to bring to screen Atalji’s story and the support of the producers. I hope that I can live up to people’s expectations with ATAL,” he added.
Vajpayee, who joined Rashtriya Sewak Sangh (RSS) in 1947, rose through ranks to become a stalwart of the BJP and was the first non-Congress prime minister to complete a full term in office.
“ATAL” is produced by Vinod Bhanushali, Sandeep Singh, Sam Khan and Kamlesh Bhanushali in association of 70MM Talkies and co-produced by Zeeshan Ahmad and Shivv Sharma.
Bhanushali said the team unanimously thought Tripathi is the apt choice for the role of Vajpayee.
“We are delighted to have one of India’s finest actors playing the part. We also have an exceptional director Ravi ji on board who we are sure will bring the story of our exemplary leader beautifully,” he said.
Producer Sandeep Singh said the team aims to release the film during Christmas 2023, which also marks the 99th birth anniversary of Vajpayee.
“ATAL” is presented by Bhanushali Studios Limited and Legend Studios.
