Amitabh Bachchan honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, says he is 'indebted' to audience for their love
Bachchan was supposed to receive the honour at the National Film Awards ceremony but could not citing ill health.
By PTI | Updated:
Amitabh Bachchan honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke award at Rashtrapati Bhavan
NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday presented megastar Amitabh Bachchan with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema's highest honour, in a special ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
Bachchan was earlier supposed to receive the honour at the National Film Awards ceremony last Monday, but the actor was unable to attend the event due to ill health.
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Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar had announced at the awards that the Hindi cinema veteran will be bestowed with the honour in a special ceremony hosted by the President on Sunday.
The award, named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke who is revered as the Father of Indian cinema, was instituted in 1969, the year Bachchan made his debut in Hindi film industry with "Saat Hindustani".
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 10,00,000.
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The Dadasaheb Phalke Award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 10,00,000. (In pic: Amitabh Bachchan with Ramnath Kovind) "I would like to thank the government of India, Information & Broadcasting ministry and the jury members of the National Film Awards for finding me deserving enough for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
"God has been kind, there have been blessings of my parents, the support of the filmmakers, producers, co-actors from the industry, but I'm most indebted to the love and constant encouragement by the Indian audience. That's the reason I'm standing here. I accept this award with utmost humility and gratitude," Bachchan said in his acceptance speech.
The 77-year-old actor attended the ceremony with his wife, veteran actor-MP Jaya Bachchan, and actor-son Abhishek Bachchan. Also present were the winners of the National Film Awards.
President Kovind hosted a high-tea for all the winners at his residence on Sunday.
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Later in the evening Abhishek Bachchan took to Instagram to congratulate his father.
In a career spanning five decades, Bachchan has stayed at the top, surprising fans with memorable performances film after film.
Born to renowned Hindi poet Harisvanshrai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan in 1942, Bachchan started his cinema journey as a voice-over artiste for Mrinal Sen's Bengali film "Bhuvan Shome" and made his debut as an actor with "Saat Hindustani", which was not a box office success.
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After a series of flops, the actor finally tasted success in 1973 as a lead hero with Prakash Mehra's action film "Zanjeer".
The movie established him as the 'Angry Young Man', a persona created by scriptwriters Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, that embodied the frustrations and disappoinments of that generation.
He channelled the avatar in films such as "Deewar", "Sholay", "Mr Natwarlal", "Lawaaris", "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar", "Trishul", "Shakti" and "Kaala Patthar".
Bachchan tapped into his sensitive side in middle-of-the-road films like "Abhimaan", "Millie", "Kabhie Kabhie" and "Silsila".
He also tried his hand at comedy and went on to deliver hits like "Namak Halal", "Satte Pe Satta", "Chupke Chupke" and "Amar Akbar Anthony" among others.
After a dip in his career during '80s, came the iconic role of gangster Vijay Deenanath Chauhan in Mukul S Anand's "Agneepath" (1990), which earned him his first National Film Award.
The actor switched to character roles in 2000s with Yash Chopra's "Mohabbatein" (2001), where he featured alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai as a stern father.
He followed it up with his television debut as the host of the game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati", which enjoys massive popularity and is a programme that the actor continues to host even now.
With age, Bachchan changed gears and started taking up films such as "Aankhen", "Baghban", "Khakee", "Viruddh", "Sarkar" series and "Pink".
"Black", "Paa" and "Piku" earned the veteran star three more Best Actor National Film Awards and they remain a highlight in his storied filmography.
In 2019, he received rave reviews for his performance in "Badla".
The government honoured Bachchan with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts.
He has also stayed relevant through his campaigns for polio, tuberculosis, the girl child and other programmes.
Surekha Sikri Gets Standing Ovation, Akshay, Ayushmann, Vicky Pose With Keerthy At National Awards
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The 66th National Awards were presented by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, on Monday, at a ceremony held at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Traditionally, the awards are presented by the President of India, however this year's honours were given by Naidu.
Actors Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana, Akshay Kumar and Keerthy Suresh (in pic) were among those receiving top honours.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who was supposed to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the ceremony, skipped the event citing ill health. The 77-year-old actor will now be honoured by President Ram Nath Kovind on December 29 at a high-tea, to be hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan for all the winners.
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Khurrana, whose film was a critical and commercial success, opted for a blue blazer over a white kurta. He took to Instagram to express gratitude for the "#Andhadhun love".
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Vicky Kaushal, who won his debut National Award for 'Uri: The Surgical Strike', kept it traditional at the ceremony. The 31-year-old looked dapper in a black achkan as he received the award from Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Kaushal shared the award with his contemporary Ayushmann Khurrana, who was recognised for his performance in 'Andhadhun'.
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The 74-year-old star opted for a beige saree and shawl, completing her look with silver earrings, kohl-rimmed eyes and a green bindi for the ceremony.
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Actress Keerthy Suresh bagged the National Award for Best Actress for the film 'Mahanati'. The 27-year-old opted for a being and gold saree with a floral blouse for the ceremony. Suresh completed her look with her hair in a floral bun, gold jhumkis, and a bindi.
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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presented the award for Best Film on Social Issues to Akshay Kumar for his film 'Padman'. Also present on stage during the presentation was Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar (l).
Khiladi Kumar opted for a classic black suit for the ceremony. This is the 52-year-old's second National Award, having previously won the prestigious prize in the Best Actor category for his role in 'Rustom'.
The 2018 film, directed by R. Balki, was based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social entrepreneur from Coimbatore, who introduced low-cost sanitary napkins.
Along with being critically acclaimed, the film - that starred Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte alongside Kumar, was also a hit at the box-office.
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The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, was released amidst backlash and protests from several fringe groups including the Karni Sena.
The film also won the National Award for Best Choreography for Kruti Mahesh Madya and Jyothi D Tommaar, and Best Singer for Arijit Singh.
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The film was widely lauded for telling a story that breaks the stereotype of middle-aged pregnancy. The film-maker, who opted for a black kurta and Nehru jacket for the ceremony, said he never imagined the film would touch so many hearts.
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