Ramesh Sippy to get inaugural Raj Kapoor Award

Veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, who directed the classic blockbuster "Sholay" and tele-serial "Buniyaad", would be conferred the first 'Raj Kapoor Award for Excellence in Cinema', an official said here on Monday.

Instituted by the Asian Centre for Entertainment Education (ACEE) with various international organisations like World Bank, UNICEF, USC Annenberg Normal Lear Cenre, Hollywood Health and Society, Cinepolis Foundation and CMS, the 'Raj Kapoor Trophy' will be unveiled here on Wednesday.

"The global awards are being launched in memory of Raj Kapoor, the quintessential 'Showman of Post-Independent India', who was a rare filmmaker to have placed mainstream and popular entertainment which he created in contemporary social contexts," said ACEE Co-Founder Vinta Nanda.

Raj Kapoor was making films from virtually the official birth of India onwards, when the violence of Partition marked the translation from British rule to democracy, and even without a close reading of history, it is clear that undercurrents in his work often measured the changes, both economic and social, in Indian society, she explained.

Sippy, 71, will receive the first Raj Kapoor Award for Excellence in Cinema at the two-day 'Elevate 2K18' bi-annual conclave of ACEE's programme, The Third Eye in Mumbai, she added.

Honoured with a Padma Shri, Sippy has attained legendary status with his memorable film "Sholay" (1975) and later the popular serial on Doordarshan, "Buniyaad" (1987), based on the Partition of India.

Veteran actors and sons of Raj Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor, will take part in a discussion on 'The Unparalleled Social Commentator, The Showman Raj Kapoor', which will be moderated by journalist Shekhar Gupta.

Besides the launch of the global award and trophy at the 'Elevate 2K18', Nanda said the team behind the latest Bollywood release "Pad Man", including producer Twinkle Khanna and director R. Balki shall be felicitated at the conclave.

The first trailer of the upcoming film, "102 Not Out" directed by Umesh Shukla of "OMG - Oh My God!" fame - which brings together industry veterans Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor together on screen after a 25 year gap - shall be released at the conclave.

--IANS

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