Bandra Bandstand – The Metrognome

‘Kaka’ immortalised in brass, statue at Bandra Bandstand soon

Rajesh Khanna statue unveiled over the weekend; will soon be installed at Bandra Bandstand with those of other film legends.

by Salil Jayakar

Regarded by his fans as Bollywood’s first superstar with several back-to-back silver jubilee hits to his name, legendary actor Rajesh Khanna died in July last year. But his memory will live on…

UTU Stars ‘Walk of the Stars’ is installing his statue at Bandra’s Bandstand promenade. Khanna’s brass statue – in which he is seen holding balloons in his right hand – shows him in one of this iconic poses from the 1971 hit Anand. The statue was unveiled by his wife Dimple Kapadia, daughter Twinkle Khanna and son-in-law Akshay Kumar over the weekend, on August 10, a little over a month after the actor’s first death anniversary.

Present at the unveiling were some of Khanna’s leading ladies from the 70s – Asha Parekh, Zeenat Aman and Hema Malini – and colleagues and friends including Sanjay Khan, Shammiji, Rishi and Randhir Kapoor, Anju Mahendru, Jackie Shroff, Rakesh Roshan, Jeetendra, Honey Irani, Poonam Sinha, Mithun Chakraborty and Jeetendra. While Bollywood’s younger generation was notably absent, Farhan and Adhuna Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar were present.

Estranged wife Dimple seemed visibly emotional at the unveiling and said, “He left us, and Indian cinema, with many wonderful memories and an unmatched legacy. The quintessential Hindi film hero with a magnetic personality, he won the love and adoration of millions in India and overseas. This statue by UTV Stars will continue his charismatic connect with his fans.”

The statue will be installed at a later date at the Bandra Bandstand promenade along with those of Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor and Yash Chopra.

(Pictures courtesy UTV Stars)

Rise. Stop violence against women

One Billion Rising exhorts the city to raise a voice and fight for the women who are assaulted and raped.

We’re sure you have elaborate plans for Valentine’s Day, but this year, if you could take the time and head to the Bandra amphitheatre at 5.45 pm, you could help towards making a significant difference to women and society.

For, the One Billion Rising – an initiative by Change.org to end violence against women globally – will take place on V-Day, kickstarting a dialogue between society and helping to end, slowly but surely, this grim statistic: globally, one in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. That’s a staggering one billion women across the globe.

Change.org says, “On February 14th, 2013, we are inviting one billion women and those who love them to walk out, DANCE, RISE UP, AND DEMAND an end to this violence. One Billion Rising is a promise that we will rise up with women and men worldwide to say, ‘Enough! The violence ends now.’ This day has been marked as ‘the global day of action’.

All you have to do is dance in solidarity for women worldwide.

Sitar player and actor Anoushka Shankar has endorsed the event and shot a promotional video for the movement.

You can sign the petition for One Billion Rising here. More to the point, be there at the event on Valentine’s Day.

The Metrognome supports ‘One Billion Rising’ and has signed the pledge. We urge you, if you are reading this, and regardless of where you are placed geographically, to sign the petition and help further the cause.

(Picture courtesy photo.net)