Bhojpuri Star Manoj Tiwari on Dutch Postage Stamp
Patna: April 12, 2008
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File photo of Manoj Tiwari doing Gandhigiri at
Patna Junction last March. Photo by Shashi Uttam |
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In a major recognition of the popularity of Bihar's very own Bhojpuri movie star and singer Manoj Tiwari in Netherlands, the Dutch government has issued a postal stamp in his honor sending Tiwari's fame to a different stratosphere earlier reserved by foreign nations only for the Bachchans and Khans of the Bollywood.
The honor was conferred on him last March but was made public only last week when Tiwari received an e-mail from the Dutch government notifying him about the 44-cent (Euro) stamp in recognition of his soaring popularity in Holland that has a large population of migrant people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
"This is a great honor for me and the entire Bhojpuri film world and I would do my best to live up to this recognition," an elated Tiwari said in a press release saying he owed his success to his mother who encouraged him to take up Bhojpuri songs that also opened up doors for the big screen.
Born in Bihar's Kaimur district, Tiwari has worked in over four dozen Bhojpuri films and has sung hundreds of Bhojpuri songs that are popular all across the globe including Holland, Mauritius, West Indies, US, and many African nations.
Tiwari, who recently moved out of Mumbai after being targeted by anti-Bihari extremists like Bal Thackeray of Shiv Sena and his nephew and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, engaged in an act of 'Gandhigiri' on March 24 when he handed out red roses to passengers at Patna Junction leaving for Mumbai to spread brotherhood and regional harmony between Bihar and Maharashtra.
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