Mourning Manmohan: Celebrities express condolences

New Delhi: Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Sunny Deol, Manoj Bajpayee and other film stars on Friday condoled the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, remembering him as a visionary and a great statesman.

Singh, the architect behind India's economic reforms, passed away on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at the age of 92.

He served as the prime minister from 2004 to 2014. As the nation's finance minister in 1991, he played a pivotal role in shaping India’s economic framework, earning widespread recognition in global financial and economic circles.

In a post on X, actor-politician Haasan said the nation has lost "one of its finest sons".

"India has lost one of its most eminent statesmen and scholars. The passing of Dr. Manmohan Singh marks the end of an era in Indian polity. A man of quiet dignity, he reshaped the nation through his visionary economic and social policies.

"Few have influenced the nation's trajectory with such far-reaching impact. His policies, both as Finance Minister and Prime Minister, empowered millions, strengthening the fabric of Indian democracy and uplifting the most vulnerable," Haasan posted.

Chiranjeevi said he is anguished by the passing away of Singh, who was a "highly educated, most graceful, soft spoken and humble leader".

"His visionary and game changing contributions as the finance minister and then his highly successful tenure as the 13th Prime Minister of India for two successive terms will remain etched in history," he said.

The actor said he was privileged and fortunate to have served as a member of parliament and minister of state for tourism during Singh's second tenure as the PM.

"I fondly cherish my interactions with him and the inspiration and wisdom I got from him forever. It is a tremendous loss to our country. My deepest condolences to his family and each of his numerous admirers," he added.

Sunny Deol hailed Singh for playing a pivotal role in shaping India’s economic liberalisation.

"His wisdom, integrity & contributions to the nation’s growth will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences. #RIPDrManmohanSingh," he posted on X.

Manoj Bajpayee said, "Saddened by the passing of our former Prime Minister. A statesman whose contributions in every aspect of our nation’s growth will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family. #RIPDrManmohanSingh."

Anil Kapoor recalled that he once met the former PM who left "an indelible impression" on the actor.

"He was a man of unparalleled humility and wisdom. His extraordinary contributions will forever be remembered. May his soul rest in peace," he said.

Diljit Dosanjh shared a photo of Singh on his Instagram Stories and captioned it, "Oh Waheguru".

Anushka Sharma wrote on Instagram Stories, "Rest in peace Dr Manmohan Singh ji."

Sharing a photo of Singh on Instagram, Allu Arjun said, "His leadership and dedication to the nation will always be remembered. Rest in peace sir."

Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who played the role of the former PM in the 2019 film The Accidental Prime Minister based on the memoir of Singh's former media advisor Sanjay Baru, said he is deeply saddened by his demise.

"Having studied him for more than a year for the movie #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister, it felt that I actually spent that much time with him. He was inherently a good man. Personally completely honest, great economist and a very humble person. Some can say may be not an astute politician! My heartfelt condolences to his family," he said on X.

Sanjay Dutt posted, "Deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. His contributions to India will never be forgotten." Riteish Deshmukh called Singh one of India’s "finest Prime Ministers".

"The man who propelled India’s economic growth. He epitomised dignity and humility. We will forever be indebted to his legacy. May his soul rest in eternal glory. Thank you Shri Manmohan Singh ji," he said.

Filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali, actors Shefali Shah, Ayushmann Khurrana, Randeep Hooda also condoled the death of the former PM.