LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday praised actor Nana Patekar for his efforts to support farmers affected by suicides.The CM also lauded singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan for giving the Uttar Pradesh Police song “Khaki Ka Sitara” a new identity with his voice, news agency PTI reported.Speaking at the song’s launch here, Adityanath recalled Patekar’s efforts to help farmers in Maharashtra when the state was witnessing widespread farmer suicides.“Nana Patekar is not only an actor; he is an equally sensitive human being. When farmers in Maharashtra had started committing suicides on a large scale, the person who extended a helping hand to those farmers was none other than Nana Patekar,” Adityanath said.The CM said he was surprised when Patekar came to meet him and introduced himself while working for farmers.“I was very surprised. Such a big actor was working for farmers, but it was true,” he said, adding that Patekar had worked quietly “without any publicity or fanfare”.CM Adityanath also said Patekar had contributed to the Uttar Pradesh Police’s cyber-security awareness campaign through a short film warning people about threats such as digital arrest scams.The CM thanked the National Award-winning artist for lending his acting to the police’s awareness campaign, PTI reported.He also praised Mahadevan, saying his singing style left everyone “enthralled”.“His name itself is Shankar, and in keeping with his name, he has become a double Shankar; he is Shankar as well as Mahadev,” Adityanath said, noting that the song’s launch coincided with the month of Sawan.He said the Padma-honoured artist’s rendition had given “Khaki Ka Sitara” a new identity and could serve as an inspiration for uniformed forces.The event was attended by Patekar, Mahadevan, Uttar Pradesh DGP Rajeev Krishna, and senior police and government officials.IPS officer Rahul Srivastav, who is the Public Relations Officer of Uttar Pradesh Police, scripted the cyber-awareness short film on ‘Digital Arrest’, featuring Patekar and directed by acclaimed Bollywood writer-director Raaj Shaandilyaa.Srivastav also co-wrote the UP Police song ‘Khaki Ka Sitara’ with noted poet and lyricist Alok Shrivastav, who attended the event along with actor Karan Aanand, who played a meaningful role in the song.(With agency inputs)
