Hyderabad: Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha was in Hyderabad on Wednesday to launch Anything But Khamosh, his official biography. The book has been penned by journalist Bharathi S. Pradhan and had been in the pipeline for years.
“It took Bharathi seven years to write the book. But it has been in the pipeline for may be around 10 years. I appreciate Bharathi for her patience and for writing about my life so beautifully,” said Sinha.
Read: Not one to keep khamosh: Biography on Shatrughan Sinha
The event was organised by the T. Subbarami Reddy Foundation. Mr Subbarami Reddy, a close friend of the actor-politician, played the perfect host on the occasion as Sinha was joined by colleagues and contemporaries from the film industry — Chiranjeevi, Mohan Babu and Mohanlal.
Speaking at the event, Mr Subbarami Reddy was all praises for his friend and spoke about his magnificent career in the industry. Later, Mohan Babu pitched the idea to launch the book at his educational institution in Tirupati “in the presence of 40,000 students and parents”.
All of his friends pitched in with their memories of the actor. While Chiranjeevi and Mohan Babu joked about who between them was Sinha's closest friend, Mohanlal was more direct.
“I have acted in several remakes of Sinha’s films. The book personifies Shatrughan Sinha. Hate him or love him, you just can’t ignore him,” the actor said. In the book, much has been written about how South superstars Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi drew inspiration from Sinha.
“When we were struggling, things were different. For this generation, it is much easier. If a boy from Patna, who had never stepped out of his town, can make it big in cinema and politics without any godfather, then so can you. All you need is the zeal,” said Sinha.
After the event, Sinha patiently signed books. And as he wrapped up, he even urged the audience to give up tobacco and smoking. “Those who smoke or chew tobacco don’t grow old, they die young,” he added.
