MUMBAI: Singer Asha Bhosle has been bestowed with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award. Other dignitaries bestowed with the award include actress Mala Sinha, late filmmaker Yash Chopra and late superstar Rajesh Khanna. The ceremony will be held on 30 April.
Bhosle is renowned for her voice range and often credited for her versatility and will receive the Phalke Ratna Award from the academy. The Government of India had honoured her with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
The Golden Era award will be given to actress Mala Sinha, who has acted in Pyaasa, Maryada and Hariyali Aur Rasta. She has never done playback singing in films but has been a singer and has done stage shows in many languages from 1947 to 1975.
Late Yash Chopra who defined romance with film has been honoured with a special award. He had a fulfilling career. He gave films like Lamhe, Dil To Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara and Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
Khanna one of the influential actors in the history of Indian cinema is been conferred with ‘First Superstar of Indian Cinema’ who passed away in July 2012. He appeared in a total of 180 films – 163 feature films and 17 short films. By 2011, he held record for being the actor with maximum solo-hero Hindi films. His estranged wife, actress Dimple Kapadia will receive the Phalke Ever Memorable Award and Akshay Kumar will be given the best performance award for Rowdy Rathore.
There will be about 40 honours presented to people from various fields at the event said Dadasaheb Phalke Academy secretary Prabhat Pandey according to agencies.
A statue of Dadasaheb Phalke will be unveiled at the event. The statue will later be placed at the Mumbai’s Film City. The chief guest for the event is former Indian president Pratibha Patil.