Waheeda Rehman will be honoured with highest Indian award in the field of cinema – the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman will be honoured with this year’s Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour in Indian cinema. Generally regarded as a Lifetime Achievement award, the Phalke Award is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festival and given by the President of India.
On Tuesday, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur took to social media to make this announcement and wrote, “I feel an immense sense of happiness and honour in announcing that Waheeda Rehman ji is being bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award this year for her stellar contribution to Indian Cinema.”
The award, which is given for “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema,” comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹10,00,000. Eluidating on Waheeda Rehman’s achievements, Thakur added, “At a time when the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam has been passed by Parliament, her being awarded with this lifetime achievement award is a fitting tribute to one of the leading ladies of Indian Cinema and one who has dedicated her life after films to philanthropy and the greater good of society.”
I feel an immense sense of happiness and honour in announcing that Waheeda Rehman ji is being bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award this year for her stellar contribution to Indian Cinema.
Waheeda ji has been critically acclaimed for her…
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) September 26, 2023
While congratulating the 85-year-old, the minister further wrote, “I congratulate her and humbly pay my regards to her rich body of work that is an intrinsic part of our film history.”
Waheeda Rehman is widely regarded as one of the most successful and recongisable actresses of Indian cinema. She made her film debut at age 16 with the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi and rose to fame with her Hindi films with Guru Dutt, including Pyaasa, Kagaz Ke Phool, and Chaudhavin Ka Chand. Through the 60s, Waheeda starred in some of the biggest Bollywood hits like Guide, Ram Aur Shyam, and Neel Kamal. She won acclaim for her performance in films like Khamoshi and Reshma Aur Shera.
Following Kabhi Kabhie (1976), she moved on to supporting and senior roles and has since played important characters in major films like Lamhe, Namak Halaal, Rang De Basanti, and Delhi-6.
