Scottish cinema legend Sir Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90 in October last year. Although he had been away from acting and limelight for quite a while, his death was painful for film buffs all the same. Today is the 91st anniversary of Connery's birth. He left for his fans a vast body of work in his four-decade-long film career. An Edinburgh native, Connery was the first actor to play the role of James Bond. He appeared in a total of 7 films, and even now his portrayal of the iconic fictional British secret service agent is considered the definitive one by most. Naseeruddin Shah agrees. The acclaimed Indian actor got to work with Connery in 2003's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which was latter's last starring live-action role. The film, directed by Stephen Norrington, was based on the eponymous graphic novel written by comic icon Alan Moore and visualised by Kevin O'Neill. While the film was a moderate box office success and received execrable reviews, Shah did get the chance of sharing screen with Connery. Sharing his thoughts about it, Shah told Times of India last year, "Sean Connery was the most down-to-earth star I’ve ever met. He reminded me of Jackie Shroff, a person who didn’t take himself seriously even for a second. He was a warm, generous co-actor and a star of blazing luminosity. Some of our homegrown stars should take a few lessons from him." "He was the ONLY Bond," Shah added. Shah, one of the few Indian actors who are known for their candour, was blunt while recounting his experience of shooting the movie. He enjoyed working with Connery, but the film? Not so much. He told The Hindu in a 2019 interview, "That was one of the most boring experiences I have ever had. The shooting dragged on for six months but I was making so much money out of it that I didn’t complain too much. The film itself was unbearable; I could not sit through it.”
