Mumbai, Dec 18: Veteran actor Jeetendra, whose hand imprint tile was unveiled today at the Walk of the Stars here, said finding true friends in life is rare and he "treasures" them.
"One may get everything in life but to find true and good friends is difficult. I genuinely treasure my friends, they are my real support... What I get from them is big support, relief and relaxation as we meet every day to play cards," Jeetendra said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony held here this evening to unveil his hand impression as a tribute to his contribution to Bollywood. Taking the audience down the memory lane, the 71-year-old said his humble background did not come in between his journey to stardom.
"In our times, we used to work in three shifts from 7 am to 11 pm. Lot of actors used to do that. I am from the middle class background. Actors used to sign 30 to 40 films and we were not aware about when the film would get over," he said.
Jeetendra said the change has come with time as today's actors devote their time and energy to one film per year. The function was organised by UTV Stars under 'Walk of the Stars' initiative.
Jeetendra's family members, including his wife Shobha, film producer daughter Ekta and actor son Tusshar, were present on the occasion along with his actor friends like Rakesh Roshan, Prem Chopra and others.
"I am glad to be honoured. I am happy that UTV stars have taken this initiative of honouring the work of those who have contributed to the film industry. It will mark the remembrance of senior actors in industry," the actor said. 'Walk of the Stars' is recognition of the invaluable contribution made to the Indian cinema by legendary actors.
Jeetendra's film career spanned from the 1960s to 1990s and his hits include 'Mawaali', 'Parichay', 'Dharam Veer', 'Caravan', 'Khushboo', 'Himmatwala', 'Geet Gaaya Patharon Ne' and others.
His children, Ekta and Tusshar were all praises for their actor father.
"The fan following that actors like dad has is larger than even Hollywood stars. Fans don't get a chance to feel their idols and this idea is awesome. His friendships are legendary. I don't think anybody in the industry in field of acting, especially a hero, has such good friends like dad has. Rakesh Roshan, Prem Chopra and others are his friends for many years. It is an achievement," Tusshar said.
Ekta said her father is the "nicest person" and she felt honoured to be his daughter. Playback singer Bappi Lahiri, also present at the event, sang one of Jeetendra's hit numbers - 'Naino Mein Sapna....'.
Both Rakesh Roshan and Prem Chopra said they were elated over the honour bestowed upon Jeetendra. "I am glad to be here with my idol. I wanted to be a superstar like him. I congratulate him. He has been the solo hero for 35 years...very few people have achieved that," Chopra said.
