 "Waheeda Rehman, Dadasaheb Phalke award")
On Tuesday, it was announced that veteran actor Waheeda Rehman will be awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema's highest honour.
The announcement was made by the Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on X (formerly Twitter).
"I feel an immense sense of happiness and honour in announcing that Waheeda Rehman ji is being bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award this year for her stellar contribution to Indian Cinema. Waheeda ji has been critically acclaimed for her roles in Hindi films, prominent among them, Pyaasa, Kaagaz ke Phool, Chaudhavi Ka Chand, Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam, Guide, Khamoshi and several others. In her career spanning over five decades, she has essayed her roles with extreme finesse, leading to a National Film Award for her role as a clanswoman in the film Reshma Aur Shera. A Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee, Waheeda ji has exemplified dedication, commitment and the strength of a Bharatiya Nari who can achieve the highest level of professional excellence with her hard work," wrote Thakur on X.
"At a time when the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam has been passed by Parliament, her being awarded with this lifetime achievement award is a fitting tribute to one of the leading ladies of Indian Cinema and one who has dedicated her life after films to philanthropy and the greater good of society. I congratulate her and humbly pay my regards to her rich body of work that is an intrinsic part of our film history," he added.
Waheeda made her acting debut with the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi (1955). She has featured in many films such as Pyaasa (1957), Guide (1965), Khamoshi (1969), Phagun (1973), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), Rang De Basanti (2006), and Delhi 6 (2009) among many others.
Waheeda Rehman will receive the award in a ceremony later this year.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award only adds to the long list of accolades that Waheeda Rehman has already received over her long career in the industry. Some of them include:
- Padma Bhushan in 2011
- Padma Shri in 1972
- Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Guide (1967)
- Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Neel Kamal (1969)
- National Film Award for Best Actress - Reshma Aur Shera (1972)
- She received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995
What is the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and who was Dadasaheb Phalke?
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is part of the National Film Awards, a highly coveted collection of honours in the film industry.
The award is named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, the pioneering filmmaker who gave India its first film– 'Raja Harishchandra', in 1913.
The award, presented annually by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is considered the highest honour in the Indian film fraternity. It is awarded for "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema".
According to the website of the Directorate of Film Festivals, the award was instituted by the government in 1969, and consists of a 'Swarna Kamal', a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a certificate, a silk roll, and a shawl.
The President of India presents the award in the presence of the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, the chairpersons of the juries, the representatives of the Film Federation of India (FFI), and the Confederation of All India Cine Employees amid senior officials, the website said.
Recipients of Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Recipients of Dadasaheb Phalke Award
| Ceremonial Year | Recipent | Film Industry |
| 1969 (17th NFA) | Devika Rani | Hindi |
| 1970 (18th NFA ) | Birendranath Sircar | Bengali |
| 1971 (19th NFA) | Prithviraj Kapoor | Hindi |
| 1972 (20th NFA) | Pankaj Mullick | Bengali, Hindi |
| 1973 (21st NFA) | Ruby Myers (Sulochana) | Hindi |
| 1974 (22nd NFA) | B. N. Reddy | Telugu |
| 1975 (23rd NFA) |
Dhirendra Nath Ganguly |
1981 (29th NFA)
Satyajit Ray
1989 (37th NFA)
B. R. Chopra
2000 (48th NFA)
2005 (53rd NFA)
2014 (62nd NFA)
Dhundiraj Govind 'Dadasaheb' Phalke
Phalke, who was born in 1870 at Trimbak in Maharashtra, was drawn towards creative arts from childhood. He studied engineering and sculpture and developed an interest in motion pictures after watching the 1906 silent film The Life of Christ.
Before venturing into films, Phalke worked as a photographer, owned a printing press, and had even worked with the renowned painter Raja Ravi Varma.
In 1913, Phalke wrote, produced, and directed India's first feature film, the silent Raja Harishchandra. A commercial success, it propelled Phalke to make 95 more films and 26 short films in the next 19 years.
Phalke's fortunes dwindled with the arrival of sound in cinema. He died in 1944 at Nashik after retiring from films.
