It was in 2003 that Dev Anand was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Amitabh Bachchan is the 50th recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Telugu director K Viswanath breathed his last on February 2. He left a void in the film industry. K Viswanath was known for films like Shankarabharanam, Sagara Sangamam, Swathi Muthyam, and Siri Vennela. He was 92 at the time of his death. The veteran filmmaker was one of the most prestigious bearers of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was inaugurated in 1969. It was presented to Devika Rani in honour of Dadasaheb Phalke, who rendered an incomparable contribution to Indian cinema by directing Raja Harishchandra, the country’s first feature-length motion picture released in 1913. Let’s take a look at some of the stars who were winners of the prestigious award.
Asha Parekh
Veteran Bollywood actress Asha Parekh was considered one of the greatest stars in the 1960s and 1970s. Her films like Kati Patang, Teesri Manzil and Aan Milo Sajna were the greatest hits back then. During the 68th National Film Awards, Asha Parekh was declared the 52nd recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award.
Rajinikanth
In the year 2019, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth received the esteemed Dadasaheb Phalke award. The 72-year-old received the prestigious honour from Venkaiah Naidu, then Vice President of India. In his decorated film career spanning decades, Rajinikanth has highly entertained us with films like Sivaji, Chandramukhi, Kabali and Annaatthe. Presently, he is awaiting the release of his upcoming action-comedy Jailer.
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan, revered as the Big B of Bollywood, is the 50th recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award. President Ram Nath Kovind handed the award to Bollywood’s angry young man. Even at the age of 80, Amitabh has been impressing the masses with unconventional films like Uunchai and Goodbye.
Gulzar
With soulful music and hard-hitting, poetic lyrics, musical maestro Gulzar has blessed our ears with songs like Tere Bina Zindagi Se, Maine Tere Liye, and Tujse Naraz to name a mere few. Gulzar was conferred with the 45th DadaSaheb Phalke Award in the year 2013.
Dev Anand
Dev Anand’s immense contribution to the world of cinema is unparalleled. He has delivered some groundbreaking performances, accompanied by memorable characters in films including Guide, Johny Mera Naam, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, and Jewel Thief. It was in 2003 that Dev Anand was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
