'Ashok Kumar had a great sense of humour'

To commemorate 10 years of the Ashok Kumar Foundation, Jehangir Art Gallery, in South Mumbai, is hosting a week-long exhibition of the veteran actor.

The exhibition features artist Jagganath Paul, and was inaugurated by legendary artist Lalita Lajmi, sister of the other legend of Hindi cinema, Guru Dutt.

The inauguration was attended by Ashok Kumar's daughter Bharati, her daughter Anuradha Patel and son-in-law Kanwaljeet Singh, and veteran radio announcer Ameen Sayani.

Sayani had often interviewed Ashok Kumar on radio, and he narrated a few incidences: "Ashok Kumar had a great sense of humour and said spoke too much. He once told me, Never forget I am a homeopathy doctor. I have a special medicine to make you stop talking."

Ashok Kumar's daughter Bharati read out her father's favourite poems in Persian while her daughter-in-law Kiran Patel sang a beautiful shloka at the start of the event.

Anuradha Patel honoured Lalita Lajmi with a shawl.

Among the exhibits was an interesting self-portrait by Ashok Kumar, where you can see Mumbai's famous Rajabhai Tower through the window.