Veteran actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor was on Sunday conferred the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award at the landmark Prithvi Theatre here by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley.
Kapoor, the younger brother of iconic actors Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, could not travel to Delhi because of his ill-health for the award ceremony which was held on May 3. Therefore, the Minister came to Mumbai to give away the award.
“It is indeed an important moment as one of our veteran actors is getting the award. It is conferred on Shashi Kapoor, who is undoubtedly a versatile personality Indian cinema has ever produced… an actor par excellence who competed with the best and carved out best work as actor, producer and director. We are presenting this award symbolically at the institution he created,” Jaitley said after giving the honour.
The 77-year-old actor Shashi Kapoor is the third person from the Kapoor family to receive the honour from the government, after his father Prithvi Raj Kapoor and elder brother Raj Kapoor.
“The way the Kapoor family is producing talent, I am sure this award is not the last one (for the family),” Jaitley said.
“I wish him an improved health… long life… best in life,” the Minister said.
Wearing a black outfit and an orange shawl, Kapoor arrived at Prithvi Theatre on a wheel chair.
Jaitley presented him a citation, shawl, medal and a cheque.
Kapoor folded his hands and smiled at everyone after receiving the award. He got a standing ovation from everyone present at the function.
The event was moderated by noted actor and Kapoor’s nephew Rishi Kapoor.
An audio-visual presentation of Kapoor’s cinematic journey, from a child artist to a lead actor, producer and a theatre personality, was shown.
It had a voice-over by Ranbir Kapoor and senior actors Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi, Shabana Azmi and Randhir Kapoor, who shared their experiences about Kapoor.
From the Kapoor family, those present on the occasion included Raj Kapoor’s wife Krishna Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor’s son Kunal Kapoor, Rishi with wife Neetu and son Ranbir, Babita with daughter Karisma and younger son-in-law Saif Ali Khan, Shammi Kapoor’s wife Neela Devi.
Several celebrities from the film industry like megastar Amitabh Bachchan, his son Abhishek, Rekha, Hema Malini, Javed Akhtar, Azmi, Hiroo Johar, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Bhosle, Anupam Kher, Poonam Dhillon, Supriya Pathak, KK Menon and others were also present at the function. Prithvi theatre, founded by Kapoor in the memory of his father Prithviraj Kapoor, continues to be nurtured by the actor’s daughter Sanjana.
PM Narendra Modi greets Shahshi Kapoor on being awarded Dadasaheb Phalke
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated veteran actor Shashi Kapoor on being presented the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
“It was wonderful seeing the versatile & much admired Shashi Kapoor ji being presented the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Congratulations to him,” the Prime Minister said.
Family, friends happy for Shashi Kapoor’s Phalke honour
Shashi Kapoor’s family members including nephew Rishi, grand-nephew Ranbir and other Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan on Sunday expressed happiness over the veteran actor’s Dadasaheb Phalke honour.
Rishi said, “We are thankful to the government for conferring this award on Shashi Kapoor. It’s the third time in our Kapoor family that we are getting this award.
“I am happy that I got the opportunity to act with him and to be directed by him. He is the only director who used stick on the sets,” the noted actor said.
Bachchan, who starred with Kapoor in blockbusters like “Deewar”, “Kala Patthar” and “Kabhie Kabhie” said, “Prithvi Theatre is a wonderful place to honour him. I had the privilege to work with him in films… he is very caring, compassionate, generous person…keep going.”
Noted actress Shabana Azmi, who was also present on the occasion, said, “Honouring Shashi Kapoor means we are honouring ourselves. He is our treasure. He is the first actor who entered Hollywood many years ago. He is a great actor.”
Ranbir said, “It’s a big day for us. He truly deserves Dadasaheb Phalke Award. He has done great work.”
Actress Karisma Kapoor and younger sister Kareena’s husband Saif Ali Khan too seemed happy with the honour Kapoor received.
“His contribution to cinema is incredible. He has acted in commercial, alternate and even international cinema, which is great. In the 60s he did path breaking work… he is the maker of modern Indian cinema,” Saif said.
Karisma said, “It’s a great feeling. He deserves it and we are happy he got it.”
Several members of the Kapoor family, including late Raj Kapoor’s wife Krishna Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor’s wife Neila Devi, Neetu Kapoor, Babita, Shashi Kapoor’s son Kunal and daughter Sanjana were present on the occasion.
Kapoor’s co-stars Waheeda Rehman, Hema Malini, Asha Parekh and Zeenat Aman also attended the event.
Born on March 18, 1938, to the illustrious and formidable theatre and film actor Prithviraj Kapoor, Kapoor hit the spotlight at the age of four acting in plays directed and produced by his father. He started acting in films as a child in the late 1940s.
His best known performances as a child artist were in “Aag” (1948) and “Awaara” (1951), where he played the younger version of the character played by Raj Kapoor. Kapoor also worked as assistant director in the 1950s.
Kapoor made his debut as a leading man in the 1961 film “Dharmputra” and went on to appear in more than 116 films during 60s, 70s and until the mid 80s.
Some of his memorable films include “Deewar”, “Kabhie Kabhie”, “Namak Halal”, “Kaala Pathar” and others.
The actor is wheelchair bound and has been ailing from kidney problems.
He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2011.
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