Minister for I & B Arun Jaitley presents the DadaSaheb Phalke award to Shashi Kapoor Calls him a versatile personality from Indian cinema and an actor par excellence

Union Information & Broadcasting  Minister Arun Jaitley today presented the Dadasaheb Phalke award to veteran film actor producer Shashi Kapoor at an informal function at the Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai. This highest award of the film industry is conferred on him by the Government of India for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.

The award consisting of a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs, a citation and a shawl was given to the actor who came in on a wheel chair. Naming him as the most versatile personality Indian cinema has produced who worked in commercial and alternate cinema Jaitley in his brief speech said he was an actor par excellence who competed with the very best during his times. The Minister also credited him with bringing the Hindi cinema and Hollywood together. He 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 Dada Saheb Phalke Award Winner.

At a star studded event 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. Family members Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, children Kunal Kapoor, Sanjana kapoor were present.Ranbir started the show with a poem and his nephew Rishi Kapoor compering the program.

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 appluse from the elite film audience.

In his vote of thanks actor Amitabh Bachchan said he is a caring and generous human being and it is very fitting that the function is being held at Prithvi theatre which Shashi Kapoor himself had eshtablished.