Asha Parekh to be conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award

Veteran actor Asha Parekh has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke award 2020 for her “exemplary contribution” to Indian cinema, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced on Tuesday. The award will be presented at the National Film Awards ceremony to be held in New Delhi on Friday.

“The Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to recognise and award Asha Parekh ji for her exemplary lifetime contribution to Indian Cinema,” said Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Anurag Thakur, while announcing the award.

He added that the 68th National Film Awards ceremony will be presided over by President Droupadi Murmu.

In a statement, the I&B ministry said, “Asha Parekh is a renowned film actress, director and producer and an accomplished classical dancer. Starting her career as a child actor, she made her debut in Dil Deke Dekho, and has acted in over 95 movies since, including Kati Patang, Teesri Manzil, Love in Tokyo,  Aya Saawan Jhoom Ke,  Aan Milo Sajna and Mera Gaon Mera Desh.”

The jury for the 52nd Dadasaheb Phalke award consisted of singer Asha Bhosle, actor-MP Hema Malini, actor Poonam Dhillon, filmmaker T S Nagabharana and singer Udit Narayan.

Before this, Asha was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1992. She has also served as the head of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from 1998 to 2001.

Asha debuted as a child artist when she was 10 with the 1952 film Maa directed by Bimal Roy. He also cast her in Baap Beti (1954) and went on to do a few more roles as a child artist. However she quit to continue her studies. She later made a comeback at age 16 with director Nasir Hussain’s Dil Deke Dekho (1959). The film was produced by Subodh Mukherjee and written and directed by Nasir.