Waheeda Rehman conferred Dadasaheb Phalke Award on the same day as first co-star Dev Anand’s centenary!

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Veteran film actress Waheeda Rehman, 85, has been conferred the nation’s highest award in cinema—the Dadasaheb Phalke award from the government of India.

Waheeda Rehman’s reaction to the media, when she heard the news on September 26 that she will be conferred the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for this year was, “I was packing to go somewhere, so it was a jhatka (jolt) for me for a second, and I couldn’t believe it. God has been very kind and I am happy and honored. Also, I am thankful to the Ministry for honoring me. I am very thankful to my family, friends, fans, and colleagues,” she expressed. She dedicated the award to the industry. “I don’t expect awards, so the surprise would have gone if I did. But I am very humbled.”

The day she received was made very special as it was the 100^th birth anniversary of her first co-star Dev Anand. “I am so happy and so grateful about this,” she added. “It is his birthday and the gift is for me,” she told NDTV.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Delighted that Waheeda Rehman Ji has been honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award. Her journey in Indian cinema has left an indelible mark. A beacon of talent, dedication and grace, she embodies the best of our cinematic heritage. Congratulations to her.”

Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for I & B and Youth Affairs & Sports, also tweeted, “I feel an immense sense of happiness and honor 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 5 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 and 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.

“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.”

Asha Parekh, friend and colleague and winner of the last Dadasaheb Phalke award, added, “I am thrilled. I am very happy. She is a lovely human being, a lovely actress, she has done so many acclaimed films. She should have got it, and she has got it!”