Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the connoisseur of art: His favourite Bollywood films, songs and singers
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is no more.
India's 10th Prime Minister and an eminent political leader of Bharatiya Janata Party from 1980, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was one of the most respected personalities in Indian political circuit.
Born in a middle-class family in Gwalior, Vajpayee had always been known as an all-rounder. His remarkable poetry and oratory skills and exceptional command over Hindi made him one of the most influencial Indian politicians.
Apart from being a successful politician, he was also a poet, influencer, an avid reader and a connoisseur of art and culture.
Bhimsen Joshi (vocalist), Amjad Ali Khan (sarod maestro), Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flautist) and Bhupen Hazarika (iconic singer-composer) were a few of his favourite classical singers and instrumentalists.
Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh & Mohammad Rafi were his favorite singers.
Devdas (1955), Bandini (1963) and Teesri Kasam (1966) were among his best-loved Bollywood films.
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957), Born Free (1966), Gandhi (1982) were his preferred Hollywood films.
O Re Maanjhi (Bandini) by S.D. Burman and Kabhi Kabhi mere Dil Mein (Kabhie Kabhie) by Mukesh-Lata Mangeshkar were two of his favourite songs.
Atal Ji was a fan of Surykanth Tripathi Nirala, Bal Krishna Sharma Naveen, Jagannath Prasad Milind and Faiz Ahmad Faiz's poetry.