Lata Mangeshkar award for Krishna Kalle

Playback singer Krishna Kalle has been named for the 'Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement' instituted by the Maharashtra government.

Besides, the state government also announced the 'Vithabai Narayangaonkar Lifetime Achievement Award' to Dhule's noted 'tamasha' artiste Bhimrao Totaram Gopal, alias Bhibhau Sangvikar.

Both the awards by the state culture department carry a cash reward of Rs.5,00,000, a citation, a trophy and a shawl.

Krishna Kalle started her singing career with All India Radio in 1960 and later sang over 200 Bollywood songs, 100 Marathi movie songs, 100 bhajans, ghazals and devotional songs, according to a statement.

In 1957, she was honoured with national level youth singing awards by India's first president Rajendra Prasad and first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The following year, she bagged the All India Sugam Sangeet Award first prize, K.L. Sehgal Memorial's Golden Voice Award and many others.

Some other personalities who bagged the 'Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement' include: late Manna Dey, Anil Biswas, Sudhir Phadke, Khayyam, Mahendra Kapoor, Suman Kalyanpur, Sulochana Chavan, Kalyanji (Shah), Manik Verma and Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

Bhibhau Sangvikar has carried forward the tradition of 'tamasha' folk dance and music through the Bhikha Bhima Sangvikar Loknatya Tamasha Mandal for the past 42 years.

He also helped construct a school and a temple in his native Shirpur in Dhule district.

Prior to Sangvikar, some other recipients of the 'Vithabai Narayangaonkar Lifetime Achievement Award' include: Kantabai Satarkar, Vasant Avsarikar, Sulochana Nalawade, Haribhau Bade, Mangal Bansode and Prabha Shivanekar.