Lata Mangeshkar honoured with the first Yash Chopra Memorial Award”

Lata Mangeshkar honoured with the first Yash Chopra Memorial Award”
Legendary singer and Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar has been honoured with the First Yash Chopra Memorial Award.  The Award carrying a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs (One million) and a citation was presented by the Union Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Manish Tewari at a star studded function in Mumbai on Saturday evening.
Lata Mangeshkar, who had been unwell for the last three days made it a point to attend the function in reverence for the legendary producer,  director late Yash Chopra. “I have not come here to receive 10 lakh rupees or the award. Yashji was special and close to my heart” she said in her acceptance speech.
While presenting the award, Mr Manish Tewari said ” Lata Mangeshkar blessed with the beautiful voice is the pride of Indian music industry and a living legend. It gives me immense pleasure to confer the first Yash Chopra award on her.”  Mr Tewari in his address described the Indian film industry, which is in its 101st year now, as the oldest cultural ambassador and said it presented India’s soft power across the world. He called upon the film fraternity to zealously guard the liberal space to protect artistic expression.
Lata Mangeshkar’s career started in 1942 and has spanned over seven decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over 36 regional Indian and foreign languages. Lata Mangeshkar has won several awards and honors, including Padma Bhushan (1969), Dada Saheb Phalke Award (1989), Maharashtra Bhushan Award (1997), Padma Vibhushan (1999), NTR National Award (1999), Bharat Ratna (India’s Highest Civilian Award in the year 2001),   and  three National Film Awards. In 2008, she was given “One Time Award for Lifetime Achievement” to commemorate the 60th anniversary of India’s independence 1996.
Instituted by the TSR Foundation of Dr T Subbarami Reddy, the Yash Chopra Memorial award will be given every year to persons in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the field of art and culture.  The Jury for the first Yash Chopra Award comprised Mr. Anil Kapoor, Ms. Hema Malini, Ms. Simi Garewal and Dr. Reddy.
Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Praful Patel, Pamerla Chopra, the widow of late Yash Chopra, several Bollywood celebrities including Jeetendra, Akshay Kumar, Rani Mukherjee, Anoushka Sharma, Subhash Ghai, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, Alka Yagnik were among those who attended the function.
PIB Mum/MD