On 29 December, Amitabh Bachchan received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema. The legendary actor was awarded by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
The award is named after the father of Indian cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke. It is awarded by the government to those who have contributed immensely to Indian cinema. It is India's highest honour given in the field of cinematic art.
After receiving the award, Bachchan expressed gratitude and spoke about how he looks forward to more fulfilling work in the future.
“With your permission, I would like to say one thing. When this award was announced, I wondered if it was a sign telling me that now I have worked enough and it’s time to sit home and relax. Because I still feel like I have some work left to do. And there are opportunities in the future that will hopefully allow me to continue working.”Amitabh Bachchan, Actor
On late Sunday night, Bachchan took to social media to share images from the award ceremony and wrote, “my immense gratitude and respect for this moment ..”
The Union Minister Harsh Vardhan took to Twitter to congratulate Bachchan. He wrote, “Heartiest congratulations to Bollywood legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan ji for receiving the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award from Hon’ble President Ram Nath Kovind ji ! @SrBachchan Ji is one of the greatest actors in world cinema history.”
Upon receiving the news in September, here’s what Bachchan had tweeted:
“There is a paucity of words searching a response .. for the generosity of words that pour in .. I am but deeply grateful and most humbled .. my sincerest gratitude .. कृतज्ञ हूँ मैं , परिपूर्ण , आभार और धन्यवाद ... मैं केवल एक विनयपूर्ण , विनम्र अमिताभ बच्चन हूँ,”Amitabh Bachchan, Actor
While making the announcement in September, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar, had written on Twitter, “The legend Amitabh Bachchan who entertained and inspired for two generations has been selected unanimously for Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The entire country and international community is happy. My heartiest congratulations to him”
Amitabh Bachchan has starred, and continues to do so, in almost 200 films during his Bollywood career spanning almost five decades. Some of his biggest hits include Sholay, Zanjeer, and Deewar. He is also the host of the famous Indian quiz reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati.
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