2017 October 26

Sepoy Kewal Singh MVC (P)
Death: 26 Oct 1962 in Walong, Anjaw, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Indian army soldier (4 Sikh), he was stationed in Walong (Arunachal) during the 1962 China War. The shooting started in the morning of 22nd October, and multiple assaults were repulsed, after which the Chinese made a determined attack on the night of 25-26th, and came dangerously close to the Indian position. Then Sepoy Kewal Singh charged the enemy with his bayonet and forced them to retreat, but succumbed to his injuries. He was awarded Maha Vir Chakra (P).

BATTLE OF WALONG (20 Oct to 20 Nov)
11 Infantry Brigade led by Brig NC Rawllwy MC
– 6 Kumaon
– 4 Sikh
– 3/3 Gorkha Rifles
– 4 Dogra

CITATION:

On the night of 26 October 1962, a company of Sikh Regiment was holding a defensive position in the forward defended localities of the Walong garrison in NEFA. This position was threatened by enemy forces. Some of them had managed to get dangerously close to our defences. Sepoy Kewal Singh, on his own initiative, rushed out of his section post and charged the enemy with his bayonet, killing a few in hand to hand fighting. In this encounter he was seriously wounded. Despite his grievous injuries he bayoneted yet another of the enemy before he succumbed to his injuries.
By this act of valour and self-sacrifice, Sepoy Kewal Singh helped his comrades to repulse the enemy.

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Indian Army – Infantry Day
event: 27 October 1947 in Srinagar, JK, India
(India) For the first time, after independence, the Indian Army was activated to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nation. The First Battalion of the SIKH Regiment was airlifted to Srinagar, where Pak Soldiers and Tribesmen had reached the outskirts of the city.

EVENTS LEADING TO THE CONFLICT

15 Aug: Independence
29 Aug: Pakistani Tribesmen began to infiltrate Kashmir (Operation Gulmarg), actively supported by the Army.
30 Sep: Pakistan was admitted as a member of the UNO. India was already a member.
15 Oct: Pakistani soldiers in civil clothes crossed the border into Jammu & Kashmir. J&K made an official protest on 19 Oct.
21 Oct: Pakistani raiders – soldiers have captured Muzafarabad.
24 Oct: Pakistani raiders have captured Uri, barely 70 km away from Srinagar. Maharaja Hari Singh now seeks help from India.
26 Oct: Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession
27 Oct: The First Battalion of the SIKH Regiment was airlifted to Srinagar, where they managed to hold the Pak-Raiders who were in shooting distance of the airfield.
27 Oct: Brig Rajinder Singh (J&K State Forces) is KIA, and is regarded as the ‘Saviour of Kashmir’ for holding the Pak raiders at bay on the outskirts of Srinagar (23-27 Oct 1947). Awarded Maha Vir Chakra (P).
28 Oct: Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai – CO of 1 Sikh, is KIA in the outskirts of the airport. His gallantry saved the city, and he was awarded Maha Vir Chakra (P).

CEREMONIES

(a) The Infantry School is located in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh.
(b) Wreath-laying at ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ at the India Gate in Delhi. Similar functions at Army units across the country.
(c) Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw Memorial Lecture at Manekshaw Centre in Delhi Cantonment.

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Brig Rajinder Singh MVC (P)
Death: 27 Oct 1947 in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Indian army officer (2 J&K State Forces) regarded as the ‘Saviour of Kashmir’, he and a small band of soldiers held the Pak Raiders at bay (23-27 Oct 1947), until political decisions were made and the Indian Army was air-lifted to Srinagar in the nick of time – 1 SIKH was air-lifted to Srinagar on the morning of 27th October.

His accurate reading of the tactical situation on the ground, and the resulting determination to destroy a steel bridge over a nallah, slowed down the Raiders, who could otherwise have been at the airport before 1 Sikh reached by air.

BRIEF:

1921: J&K State Forces
1947: Chief of Military Staff (24 Sep 1947)
He was awarded the The First Maha Vir Chakra.

Monuments at:
– at Bunya, near Uri.
– Bagoona village (Rajinder Pura) in Samba district.

Death:
(a) 26 Oct 1947: sited in various articles, including Wikipedia is wrong.
(b) 27 Oct 1947: He was wounded shortly after mid-night (0200 hrs) on 27th October.

CITATION:
Immediately after the partition of the Indian Sub continent in 1947, thousands of raiders assisted by Pakistani regulars invaded the State of Jammu & Kashmir all along its border. The Jammu & Kashmir State Forces, stretched along a 550-mile long border deployed in penn-packets with limited arms, ammunition and supplies, without road communications, and heavily-outnumbered, fought tenaciously holding on to their positions. Kohla-Domel garrison fell to the invaders on 22 October 1947. The fate of the Valley as of the whole State hung precariously on a slender thread.

Brigadier Rajinder Singh, Chief of Military Staff, took over the command of a relief column and proceeded to check the raiders. Another column with all available troops (nearly 100) was despatched on 23 Oct 1947 to join Brigadier Rajinder Singh with orders from Maharaja Hari Singh, C-in-C as follows:- “Brigadier Rajinder Singh is commanded to hold the enemy at Uri at all costs and to the last man. Reinforcement is sent with Capt Jwala Singh …….”

Brigadier Rajinder Singh and his band of soldiers carried out the orders of the Maharaja to the letter and spirit. Fighting bravely for every inch of land, they delayed enemy advance by two crucial days during which important decisions were taken. The Indian Army joined the fight and the J&K State was thus saved for India by Brigadier Rajinder Singh. He made the supreme sacrifice of his life on the night of 26-27 October 1947 valiantly fighting the Pakistani raiders in Uri-Rampur sector.

NOTE: J&K State Forces was absorbed into the Indian Army, and named as the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. The Regiment has won 2 Param Vir Chakras:
(a) Captain Vikram Batra (1999, Kargil, posthumous)
(b) Rifleman Sanjay Kumar (1999, Kargil)

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2017 October 25

Jaspal Singh Bhatti
Death: 25 Oct 2012 in Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Indian engineer, comedian and television personality, he rose to fame with ‘Flop Show’ (1989, Doordarshan) and followed up with ‘Ulta Pulta’ and ‘Nonsense Private Limited’ – spiced with everyday humour, which appealed to the common man and came to be known as the Comedy King of India. Padma Bhushan (2013, posthumous)

Family:
– wife: Savita Bhatti
– son: Jasraj Bhatti
– daughter: Raabiya Bhatti

HIS STYLE OF HUMOUR

Jaspal Bhatti (JB) is the chief guest at a function, and the Master of Ceremonies (MC) is a worried man:
MC: Haar kahan hai?
AND HE IS INFORMED:
– Sir haar toh aaya nahin.
BUT JB HAS ALREADY ARRIVED
MC: Sorry sir, woh haar nahin arrange kar paaye.
JB: Accha. Koi baat nahin. Haar main apne ghar se hi le aaya tha – pulling out a garland from his coat pocket.
AFTER THE FUNCTION:
JB: Ji yeh zara meri gaadi mein rakhwa dena. Woh 10:00 baje mera ek aur function hai.

POLITICS:

He floated several imaginary parties ahead of election:
– Hawala Party (1995) on political corruption based on the Jain-Hawala Diaries.
– Suitcase Party (2002), where seats were to be allotted on the suitcase size of the candidates.
– Recession Party (2009) with drugs and alcohol as the party symbol, and promise of free supply to the people of Punjab.

QUOTES:

– Agar talashi ho jaati to humare ghar mein ek bhi paisa nahi hai. Yeh aur bhi badnaami ki baat hai. (If my house is raided, not even one paisa will be found. But, that would be a bigger insult.)

– Jo humare dukaan ki mithaiyan khaata hai woh inke dukaan ki davaaiyan zaroor khata hai. (Those who buy sweets from our shop, will definitely eat medicines from his shop.)

DEATH

He died in a car accident after the Honda Accord driven by his son, Jasraj crashed (0300 hrs) into a tree near Shahkot, while travelling from Batinda to Jalandhar. Jasraj, Surilie Gautam (actress) and Navneet sustained injuries.

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2017 October 18

Kulangara Paulo Hormis
Birth: 18 Oct 1917 in Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Indian lawyer and banker, he is the founder (1944) of Federal Bank and developed it in to a national institution during his long 34 year association. He was also a Member (1954-56) of the Legislative Assembly of Travancore-Cochin State, and Founder President of Kerala Bankers’ Chamber.

Federal Bank
– 1931: Incorporated as Travancore Federal Bank Limited in Pathanamthitta, Kerala
– 1944: Acquired by KP Hormis
– 1949: Name changed to Federal Bank Limited
– Chairman (till 1978)

He was also
– A member of Legislative Assembly of Travancore-Cochin State (1954-56), and
– Founder President of Kerala Bankers’ Chamber.

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2017 October 17

Syed Ahmed Khan
Birth: 17 Oct 1817 in Delhi, India
Indian scholar, educator, jurist and social reformer, he was a member (1878-82) of the Viceroy’s Legislative Council, and the founder of Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College (MAO) at Aligarh (1875), which eventually became the Aligarh Muslim University in 1920.

BRIEF:

East India Company
– Judge (1867-76)

1859: Gulshan School at Muradabad
1863: Victoria School at Ghazipur
1875: Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College
– Aligarh Muslim University in 1920
1878: Viceroy’s Legislative Council
1888: Knighted
Buried next to the mosque at AMU

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2017 October 16

NSG Raising Day
event: 16 Oct 1984 in New Delhi, India
(India) The National Security Guard was raised today and was regularised by the NSG Act of 1985. Known as the ‘Black Cats”, the NSG is essentially an anti-terrorism unit, to be used only in exceptional situations. The first DG was RT Nagrani, who was assisted by Major-General Naresh Kumar, who had earlier commanded the 57 Mountain Division.

Raising Day
(a) 16 October: celebrated as Raising Day
(b) 17 October: RT Nagrani took charge as DG.

The NSG was modelled on the pattern of:
– the SAS of the UK, and
– GSG-9 of Germany.

Comprises of 2 fighting units:
– SAG (Special Action Group) – Army personnel.
– SRG (Special Ranger Group) – Police personnel.

The initial batch for the SAG was drawn from the Chakrata-based Special Frontier Force (SFF).

All the personnel in the NSG are on deputation.

NSG’s insignia is the Sudarshan Chakra, the legendary cutting-wheel on Lord Krishna’s finger.

Why does a predominantly Army Force operate under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)? Explanation offered – to keep the Defence Budget under 3 percent of GDP!

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Happy Boss Day
event: 18 October 1958 Illinois, USA
(USA) Patricia Bays Haroski registered the holiday with the United States Chamber of Commerce. She was employed at the State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Illinois, and her father was her boss. Naturally, she chose her father’s birthday.

1962: Illinois Governor Otto Kerner made it official.

1979: Hallmark first produced National Boss Day cards.

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2017 October 15

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, People’s President
Birth: 15 Oct 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Indian scientist with the DRDO, and regarded as the father of India’s missile programme, he was awarded Bharat Ratna (1997), and later elected as the 11th President (2002-07), when his wit and intelligence gained the admiration of all.

BRIEF:

Madras Institute of Technology
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Indian Space Research Organisation
Guided Missile Development Programme
Chief of DRDO
Chief Scientific Adviser to the PM

Padma Vibhushan 1990
Bharat Ratna 1997
President of India (2002-17)

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Mata Hari – Death Centenary
Death: 15 Oct 1917 in Vincennes, Paris, France
Dutch dancer and a legend during her lifetime, she was known for her seductive dances wearing body stockings and jewellery. During First World War, she was arrested (13 Feb 1917), tried and shot by the French for being a German Spy.

Original name: Margaretha Geertruida Zelle

ARREST:
– From Suite 113 of Hotel Elysee Palace.
– It is recorded, she was naked, and handed out chocolates to the judge and police officers who had barged into the suite.
– The hotel went bankrupt in 1920, and was acquired by a bank, eventually becoming the French headquarters of HSBC. Recently, the Emir of Qatar has shown interest in acquiring the property and making it a hotel again.

WAS SHE A SPY?
She was definitely a Femme-Fatale, who had shared the bed with many important officials across Europe
Was she a triple-agent offering her services to all three nations – Britain, France and Germany?
Why was she arrested in London and released by MO5 (MI5) in Nov 1916?
Did the Germans want her killed, and so gave proof to the French?
– Did they want to hide their own secrets?
Why were the French so keen on executing her, a famous personality?
– Was she a scapegoat for French military failures?
And above all – what was the proof?

EXECUTION:
While there are no photos of her execution, independent witness, have stated – she stood by herself beside the stake – not tied as is usual, refused a blindfold, and faced the barrels of the rifles, held by 12 soldiers of the firing squad, without flinching.

And moments before the shots were fired, she waved to the two nuns, and blew a kiss to the priest and her lawyer who were present at the dirty field in the outskirts of Paris.

Well, it is time for the SECRETS to be REVEALED.

The documents pertaining to her activities, arrest and trial are expected to be declassified by the French Army in 2017. Meanwhile, Britain’s MI5 had released some documents in 2014.

MOVIES:
Greta Garbo player her, in the film Mata Hari (1931), after which a number of other films and serials have kept her life-story alive.

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World Land Speed Record
Event: 15 Oct 1997 in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA
(USA) Wg Cdr Andy Green of the RAF, drove the British car ThrustSSC, powered by two F-4 Phantom Jet engines to cross the sound barrier – Mach 1.016 (763.035 mph or 1227.99 kmph). He is the current World Land Speed Record holder (2017), and making an attempt at 1,000 mph in 2018.

Wg Cdr Andy D Green
born: 30 July 1962 in Warwickshire, England.

Royal Air Force
– F-4 Phantom, and
– Tornado F3.

VEHICLE

Car: ThrustSSC

Developed by:
– Richard Noble,
– Glynne Bowsher,
– Ron Ayers, and
– Jeremy Bliss

Engine: 2 Rolls Royce Spey 205 Turbofan Engines, similar to the ones installed on the British Phantom F-4 fighter aircraft, and capable of pushing the aircraft to Mach 1.9 speed.

SIZE and WEIGHT

16.5 metres long
03.7 metres wide
10.5 tons weight

THRUST: 223kN / 50,000 pounds force (equal to 110,000 bhp)

TOP SPEED: 763.035 mph (1,227.986 kmph)

SPEED RECORDS:

The highest speed achieved with an Internal Combustion engine – W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines was 394.196 mph (634.397 kmph).

Rocket Propulsion

Craig Breedlove was the first to use a Turbojet, and set the record with 407.447 mph (655.722 kmph) in August 1963.

25 Sep 1997:
– broke the land-speed record – at 714.144 mph (1,149.303 kmph).

15 Oct 1997:
– broke the sound barrier on land.
– touched 763.035 mph (1,227.986 kmph).
– 50 years and 1 day after Brigadier General Chuck Yeager accomplished the feat in the air, on the experimental Bell X-1 (14 Oct 1947).

FUTURE – Bloodhound SSC

Richard Noble and Andy Green are working on their next project – Bloodhound SSC, to conquer the 1000 mph barrier.
ENGINE:
– Rolls-Royce EJ200,
– – powers the Eurofighter Typhoon
– and Custom designed Hybrid Rocket,
– together rated at 135,000 bhp.

– preliminary testing of the EJ200 engine has been completed.
– will be driven for the first time at Cornwall Airport Newquay on 26 October.
– record breaking attempt is planned for the Summer of 2018.
– All the Best Andy.

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2017 October 14

Lt Gen Prem Bhagat VC – Centenary Year
birth: 14 Oct 1918 in Gorakhpur, UP, India
Indian army officer (1939: Engineers), he is known for the still ‘Top Secret’ Henderson Report on the 1962 China War, but was also a recipient of the Victoria Cross (Feb 1941) for gallantry in Sudan during World War II – his action of clearing 55 miles of a mined road in 96 hours was described as “the longest continued feat … of sheer cold courage”.

FULL NAME: Premindra Singh Bhagat

DATE of BIRTH:
(a) 14 October: as per his biography.
(b) 13 October: alternate sources.

He was married to Mohini, daughter of Col Bhandari (AMC), who was one time Superintendent of Nasik and Yerwada Central prisons when Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned there.

BIOGRAPHY: The Victoria Cross: A Love Story by Ashali Varma, his daughter.

Bombay Engineer Group in Khadki (Kirkee), Pune, Maharashtra.
– also known as Bombay Sappers.
– the VC is in safe custody here.
– 31st January is celebrated as VC Day, when the medallion is put on display.
– a museum is co-located, which house his memorabilia.

THE VICTORIA CROSS CITATION – WAR OFFICE, 10th June, 1941

His Majesty The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the under mentioned officer:
Second-Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat, Corps of Indian Engineers (serving with Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners).
For most conspicuous gallantry on active service in the Middle East. During the pursuit of the enemy following the capture of Metemma on the night 31 January – 1 February 1941, Second-Lieutenant Bhagat was in command of a section of a Field Company, Sappers and Miners, detailed to accompany the leading mobile troops (Bren Carriers) to clear the road and adjacent areas of mines. For a period of four days and over a distance of 55 miles this officer in the leading carrier led the Column. During this period, he himself detected and personally supervised the clearing of no less than 15 minefields of varying dimensions. Speed being essential, he worked at high pressure from dawn to dusk each day. On two occasions when his carrier was blown up with casualties to others, and on a third occasion when ambushed and under close enemy fire he himself carried straight on with his task. He refused relief when worn out with strain and fatigue and with one eardrum punctured by an explosion, on the grounds that he was now better qualified to continue his task to the end.
His coolness, persistence over a period of 96 hours, and gallantry, not only in battle, but throughout the long period when the safety of the Column and the speed at which it could advance were dependent on his personal efforts, were of the highest order.

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2017 October 13

Helo Rescue in Timber Trail
Event: 13 Oct 1992 in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
(India) After an accident resulted in the Cable Car stuck midway, and 1,000 feet above the ground, the IAf and Army swung into action. Group Captain FH Major in a Mi-17 and Major Ivan Joseph Crasto (1 Para) rescued the 10 stranded tourists in a 2-day operation (14-15 Oct), with Crasto spending a night with the exhausted and frightened passengers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF EVENTS (13-15 Oct)
Cable Car ride (35 rupees per head)
Resort (2,000 ft) to Timber Heights (5,000 ft) and back.

13th OCTOBER (Tuesday) – 04 PM

It was a normal day – both cars were in motion. Car A had 11 tourists along with the attendant, Ghulam Hussain.

Just as the Car reached the Heights, a steel-cable snapped, and the Car began to slide down.
The attendant and a tourist was flung out
Fortunately, the broken cable got entangled with a tree below and stopped the car at a mid-way position.
If that had not happened, the Car would have speeded up to about 200 kmph and slammed into the station at the Resort. The result would have been catastrophic, to the passengers, and those tourist waiting at the station.

Late in the evening, 152 Helicopter Unit and 1 PARA were activated
Meanwhile it was a COLD NIGHT for the 10 tourists in the Car dangling mid-air, 1,000 feet above a river. A walkie-talkie in the Car had gone down with the attendant.

14 OCTOBER (Day 02)

The morning newspapers had head-lined the news, and thousands of excited people from Chandigarh rushed to the site, virtually blocking the Chandigarh-Shimla highway.
Ministry of Defence approval was accorded to the IA and IAF to undertake the rescue.
A technician at the Resort, Ghulam Mohammad brought food, water and blankets to the Car – apparently, he monkey-crawled on the steel-cable from the Heights.
Major Ivan Joseph Crasto was winched down from a Mi-17, and rescued 5 including a 4 year old boy.
By now, it was getting dark and there were still 5 passengers left in the Car.
Major Crasto decided to spend the night in the Car. He told the stranded passengers, ‘I have two kids at home and the fact that I am staying on means there is nothing to worry’.
But, it was another COLD NIGHT for the frightened tourists.

15 OCTOBER (Day 03)

The rescue was completed, with Maj Crasto bringing up the rear.

AWARDS:

Col PC Bhardwaj (CO of 1 PARA), Shaurya Chakra (Lt General)
Gp Capt FH Major, Shaurya Chakra (Air Chief Marshal).
Wg Cdr S Chandra, Shaurya Chakra (Gp Capt).
Maj Ivan Joseph Crasto, Kirthi Chakra (Colonel).
Ft Lt P Upadhyay, Vayu Sena Medal (Gp Capt).
Havildar Krishna Kumar, Shaurya Chakra (Subedar)

Havildar Joga Singh – also in the helo
Ghulam Mohammad – deserved something.

Photo of Maj Crasto, and details from India Today article – A real cliffhanger, dated November 15, 1992.

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2017 October 12

HMS Trincomalee Launched – 200 Years Ago
Event: 12 Oct 1817 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
(India) HMS Trincomalee built by Jamshedji Bamanji Wadia at Bombay Dockyard, was launched for the British Navy. A veteran of many wars, and various owners, she has been restored and is floating as a museum ship at Jackson Dock, within The National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool in England. She is the oldest warship afloat anywhere in Europe.

OTHER HISTORIC SHIPS

HMS Victory launched in 1765, served as the flag-ship of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), and continues to be the flag-ship of the First Sea Lord, but she is in a dry dock at Portsmouth, England.

USS Constitution launched in 1797, is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel in service, still floating. Popularly known as the “Old Ironsides”, she is berthed at Boston Naval Shipyard in Massachusetts.

THE WADIA GROUP (Ship Builders)

– Founded by Sir Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia in 1736
– The Bombay dry-dock, was built in 1750 – first in Asia.

– HMS Minden built by the Wadias and launched in June 1810, has a special place in American history. The lyrics of “The Star-Spangled Banner” – the national anthem of the USA, was written by Francis Scott Key in September 1814 on board this ship, during the Battle of Baltimore. What was he doing on board a British Ship? Being a lawyer, he was there to negotiate the release of some prisoners when the bombardment started.

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Ram Manohar Lohia
Death: 12 Oct 1967 in New Delhi, Delhi, India
Indian economist, socialist leader, editor and freedom fighter, he laid the foundation of the Socialist ideology in India. After independence, he was elected to the 3rd and 4th Lok Sabha (1962-70), from Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, and remains a guiding light for the Samajwadi Party.

BRIEF:

Banaras Hindu University
Vidyasagar College
Humboldt University of Berlin
– PhD on Salt Taxation in India
Congress Socialist Party
– Left wing of the INC
– Co-founder (1934)
– Opposed Indian joining the Army during World War II
– Prison (1940-41)
Quit India Movement
– Clandestine activities
– Secret Radio stations
– Prison (1944-46)

AFTER INDEPENDENCE

Founded Hind Kisan Panchayat to help farmers with agricultural reforms.
Lok Sabha (1962-70) from Kannauj, UP

LEGACY
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University in Lucknow
Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow
He is a guiding light for the Samajwadi Party.

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2017 October 11

Amitabh Bachchan
birth: 11 Oct 1942 in Allahabad, UP, India
The ‘Angry Young Man’ of Bollywood after Zanjeer (1973), won the Filmfare Superstar of the Millennium award (2000), anchored ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (2000), became Brand Ambassador of Gujarat Tourism, and is today the Face behind the Swachh Bharat Mission, a campaign initiated by Prime Minister Modi. After a brief intervention in politics with his childhood friend, Rajiv Gandhi he has stayed away, but his wife Jaya is a member of Rajya Sabha.

FAMILY
Son of:
– Harivansh Rai Bachchan (Hindi literature).
– Teji Bachchan (social activist).
Wife: Jaya Bhaduri (actress and Rajya Sabha MP).
Children:
– Shweta, married to Nikhil Nanda (MD of Escorts Limited).
– – Nikhil is also the grandson of Raj Kapoor.
– Abhishek Bachchan (actor), married to Aishwarya Rai (actress).

AWARDS:
National Film Awards (04)
Filmfare Awards (14)
Padma Shri (1984)
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (2000)
Padma Bhushan (2001)
Legion of Honour (France, 2007)
Padma Vibhushan (2015)

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