MUMBAI: Actors of yesteryears came up on their own merits and not through pushing, according to lyricist Javed Akhtar. He was speaking at the promotion of Zee Classic?s new show Classic Legends.

The show will premiere on 11 December and Akhtar will be hosting it.

Talking about the stars of the ?Evergreen Age? that ranged from 1940 to 1970, Akhtar said that many of them like Mehboob Khan, Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor started their life from scratch, working as junior artistes, finally to become legends in their own rights. "I can cite the example of Mehboob Khan and Raj Kapoor who rose to become the country?s respected filmmakers," averred Akhtar.

Elaborating his role as an anchor in the show Akhtar said, "Given the decades that I have spent in the film industry and the talented creative minds that I have the good fortune of meeting and learning from, it is only fitting that I pay a tribute to the personalities whom I have come to greatly admire over the years."

Classic Legends will cover all those who have left inedible footprints into the collective memories of an enchanted nation. It will showcase the works of 13 of the most admired and respected legends like Raj Kapoor, RD Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kishore Kumar, Nargis, Bimal Roy, Vijay Anand, Ashok Kumar, Sahir Ludhiyanvi, Mehboob Khan, Madhubala, Guru Dutt and Shammi Kapoor, the channel said.

Zee Cinema business head Mohan Gopinath said, "There are many shows that talk about the current lot of actors and directors in the industry. And while some dialogues or songs from certain films of the black and white era many be popular among the masses, not many know anything about the people behind those iconic works.

"Classic Legends will introduce people to the creative geniuses in the background from the Evergreen era. People tend to forget legends of the past, but through our content on Zee Classic, it?s our endeavour to ensure that we strive in our very own small way that they remain immortal forever."

Launched in April 2007, Zee Classic is a classic Hindi movie channel that boasts of over 500 exclusive titles from 1940 to 1970 with classics like Awara, Mother India, Shree 420 and the works of Raj Kapoor, Kishore Kumar, SD Burman and Guru Dutt amongst others.