Runway 34 actor Hrishikesh Pandey, who also has been part of films like Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke and Apradhi as well as popular detective show C.I.D, remembers meeting megastar Amitabh Bachchan and still has something that Big B sent to him.
The actor says that not only he, but his family, too, are big fans of Big B. “My family and I are big fans of Bachchan sir. I come from an army background and my dad never allowed us to watch movies in theatres. He only made an exception if the film was about Amitji or it was a patriotic movie. During Amitji’s accident on the sets of Coolie in 1982, the entire nation was praying for him. As kids, my sister and I had written a small note for him, which we managed to send to his place. When his health improved, he actually responded to our letter. We used to live in Jabalpur at that time and we were overjoyed. It was unbelievable to receive a letter from him with his photograph. I still have that precious letter,” he says.
In due course of time, the actor met Big B on several occasions for work projects. However, he told him about the letter very recently. “We are currently shooting for a film titled Runway 34 and I found an opportunity to share this incident with him as he seemed to have some time in the middle of shots. I told him about the letter and his reaction was priceless. First, he just looked at me quietly from top to bottom and smiled. He said he was surprised to know I kept his letter safe after so many years. He even read the letter. It was a beautiful reaction,” he smiles.
On the work front, the actor says that he owes it all to C.I.D. “I have been doing television for many years. Apart from C.I.D, I’ve also done family dramas and romantic shows, but C.I.D gave me a lot of respect. Its reach was beyond my imagination. Sometimes, people actually thought that we were a part of the police force in real life and would treat us with a lot of respect and love,” says Hrishikesh
