Veteran Bollywood actor Asha Parekh will be conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award , confirmed Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Tuesday.
This award is India's highest award in the field of cinema. Every year, it is presented at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting body.
Notably, Parekh will become the recipient of the 52nd Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Before her, superstar Rajinikanth was bestowed with the valuable honor in 2021 (for the year 2019).After the announcement in April 2021, he was finally given the honor in October at the National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi.
Announcing the decision Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur said “I am honoured to announce that the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to recognise & award Ms Asha Parekh ji for her exemplary lifetime contribution to Indian Cinema.” The Minister also announced that the 68th National Film Awards will be held on 30th September, 2022 and will be presided over by President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu.
Asha Parekh is a renowned film actress, director and producer and an accomplished Indian classical dancer. Starting her career as a child actor she made her debut as lead heroine in Dil Deke Dekho and has gone on to act in over 95 movies. She has acted in celebrated films like Kati Patang, Teesri Manzil, Love in Tokyo, Aya Saawan Jhoom Ke, Aan Milo Sajna, Mera Gaon Mera Desh.
Parekh is a winner of Padhma Shri, awarded to her in 1992. She has also served as the head of Central Board for Film Certification from 1998-2001.
Shri Anurag Thakur also announced that the decision to confer the award to Parekh was taken by a jury of five members. The jury for the selection of 52nd Dada Saheb Phalke award consisted of five members from the film industry:
Ms Asha Bhosle
Ms Hema Malini
Ms Poonam Dhillon
Shri T. S. Nagabharana
Shri Udit Narayan
