Several more Bollywood personalities send their tributes:
Ayushmann Khurrana: He was the silver lining of this era. A leader who never let us down. An epitome of righteousness, wisdom and intelligence. He was so vastly popular because of his instant connectivity with the youth. The combination of his scientific brain and his natural propensity towards art and culture made him a rare gem. Thank you for everything, Sir.
Naseeruddin Shah: Wonderful dreamy scientist with the love of the arts, I admired him greatly. It is highly appropriate that he got such a great send-off doing what he loved.
Mahesh Bhatt: In our country of excessive talk and less action was born a man of action. Dr Kalam once told me he learnt from Mahatma Gandhi what true service is. It was Dr Kalam, who told me that Bapu was healing the wounds of the Partition in the street of Bengal while the rest of India was celebrating the first Independence Day! What a way to go. Died with his boot on.
Victor Bannerjee: Scientists, who berated him for not having achieved anything of scientific significance, reluctantly admit he was a great sheepherder of talent. The nation loved him for being a simple human being, who brought his office down from an artificial pedestal into classrooms and communities.
Shoojit Sircar: I always wanted to meet him but I am not sad. He always inspired me. He passed away while working. That was a glorious life.
Subhash Ghai: Our prime minister is inspired by Dr Kalam’s dream of digital India, skill India, and Make India by 2020. What more could I say?
Photograph: Abhijit Mhamunkar
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