Govinda, actor and Member of Parliament: "Today an era of the film industry is over. He was one of the greatest actors in our country. He was a legend. The love that I have for him cannot be expressed in words. Everyone in the industry has learnt a lot from him. He was an institution. He will always be an inspiration for newcomers. Future generations will also follow him. But nobody can become like him.

"Whenever he met me, he would only bless me because of my comedy acts. He was a fantastic artiste. He would make scenes on the sets that were not related to the film. And the filmmakers would incorporate those scenes because they would be so hilarious. He had tremendous presence of mind.

"He had called me for some work and when I did that work he called back to thank me. I feel happy that he had blessed me. Unfortunately, I could not meet him before I joined politics because he was not well. I wanted his blessings.

"He always liked my comedy and whenever he met me he would hug me.

"He was a good singer, dancer, artiste, and human being. He helped many artistes by giving them a place to stay.

"To act like him is like comparing a lamp to the sun."

Dharmendra, actor and MP: "I only pray that God gives him a place in heaven. He was a very nice human being. There are many incidents in life that I will not be able to forget.

"He distributed happiness all the time when he was alive. I will surely speak some other time about him in detail.

"Every moment shared with him is a beautiful memory. Today, I enjoy seeing him on television. He brings happiness."

In the picture [from top]: Govinda, filmmaker Yash Chopra, and Dharmendra