Crossing named after Aadesh Shrivastava in Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 5: A crossing named after the late composer Aadesh Shrivastava was inaugurated here in the presence of his widow Vijayta Pandit and other Bollywood celebrities like Jackie Shroff and Poonam Dhillon.

"I met Aadesh ji for the first time when I went to hear the music of my film 'Hero' (1983). He was one of the percussionists and we became friends. He worked in 'Angaaray' and got his first big break with the film 'Kanyadaan'. We both started our career at the same time. The jacket which I am wearing, is gifted by Aadesh," Shroff said at the event on Sunday.

"It is really sad that he left us so early. He was very close to us and was a cheerful person. He was a talented and God-fearing person. We miss him very much," Dhillon said.

Filmmaker J.P. Dutta also got nostalgic.

"Aadesh was my friend when he used to work with Laxmikant-Pyarelal (composers) as an assistant. For my first film 'Ghulami', he played the rhythm. Later in 'Border', he did the background music and he was awarded for his work. 

"He also gave background music for 'Refugee' and 'LOC'. I promised him he would compose music for my next film after 'Umrao Jaan' (2006). unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to work again."

Asked what was the USP of his music, Dutta said: "As a close friend, he knew my requirements. He was born talented."

Shrivastava, who battled cancer, passed away on September, 5, 2015.