Actor Richa Chadha has been honoured with the Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar Award to 2020 for her contribution to Indian cinema. The actor received the award on November 7 at Raj Bhawan from the Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The event was attended by a slim crowd of 25 people. 

Richa had recently returned from the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt where she was a part of a panel discussion on women empowerment. Her last two theatrical releases were Panga and Section 375. 

In a statement, Richa says, “It’s an honour that I will hold close to my heart. For an actor who has had no godfather, every achievement feels precious and well earned. The award reinforces my faith in my dreams. It has been a long journey to this point and standing by my value system and making movies that mean something more than just entertainment has always been my endeavour.”

She says it’s the duty of all artistes to support the underprivileged and help make their lives better. “The job of an actor goes beyond an entertainer’s. We all carry the responsibility of uplifting the society, and as an influencer, I urge that more people join in supporting the lesser privileged,” Richa says. “It’s equally our responsibility to vouch for continual support to the medical fraternity and Covid warriors, who’ve brought us out of the most tumultuous year of our lives.”