Veteran Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award from the hands of Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley at a star-studded function held at the Prithvi theatre at Juhu in north-west Mumbai on Sunday. In his brief speech after conferring the Dadasaheb Phalke award on Shashi Kapoor for his “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema”, Jaitely said that the “Jab Jab Phul Khilen” star was an actor par excellence who competed with the very best during his times.
Jaitely also credited Shashi Kapoor with bringing the Hindi cinema and Hollywood together. Shashi is the third personality from the Kapoor family to get the Phalke award after veteran director Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor. He is the 46th Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winner. The award consisting of a Swarn Kamal (Golden lotus), a cash prize of Rs10 lakhs, a citation and a shawl was given to the actor who came in on a wheel chair.
Bollywood personalities were Amitabh Bachan, Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Asha Parekh, actress-MP Hema Malini, Rekha, Asha Bhosale, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Zeeenat Aman, Krishna Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan were present at the function. Family members Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, children Kunal Kapoor, Sanjana Kapoor were also present. Ranbir started the show with a poem and his nephew Rishi compering the programme.
A poignant audio visual on Shashi Kapoor’s films and his work along with interviews of important film personalities was played at the occasion to a rousing applause from the elite film audience. Actor Amitabh Bachchan, while proposing vote of thanks to all those present at the function, said Shashi was a caring and generous human being and it was very fitting that the function was being held at Prithvi theatre which Shashi Kapoor himself had established. Beginning his career as a leading man in the 1961 film Dharmputra, Shashi acted in more than 150 films.