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The Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2020 has been given to Asha Parekh, a renowned actress, becoming the 52nd winner of the distinction. Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Broadcasting and Information, revealed her identity. She participated in over 95 films, and from 1998 to 2001; she served as chair of the Central Board of Film Certification. The Indian government also gave her the Padma Shri in 1992 for her contributions to cinema.
Key Takeaways
- Famed actress Asha Parekh has been given the Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2020, making her the 52nd recipient of the honour.
- At the 68th NFA in Vigyan Bhawan, the Hon. The President of India will present the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to her.
- She participated in approximately 95 movies and presided over the Central Board of Film Certification from 1998 to 2001.
- In 1992, the Indian government also awarded her the Padma Shri for her contribution to film.
Early Years
On October 2, 1942, in Mumbai, Asha Parekh was born into a middle-class Gujarati Jain family. Her mother was a Dawoodi Bohra Muslim, and her father was from Paldi, a town close to Pirana in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. In Parekh’s religious upbringing, Sai Baba was worshipped. She began taking Indian classical dancing lessons at a young age, thanks to her mother, who also trained her under Pandit Bansilal Bharati.
Legendary Career
- At age 10, director Bimal Roy cast Asha Parekh as a child performer in the movie Maa (1952), which debuted her career.
- After witnessing Asha Parekh’s performance on the stage, Bimal Roy selected her for his movie and cast her once again in “Baap Beti.” The frustration struck her due to the failure of her last picture. She left the industry to return to school after taking on a few more kid roles.
- She gave herself another shot when she was sixteen years old. She tried to launch herself in the field of acting as a protagonist, but Vijay Bhatt’s “Goonj Uthi Shehnai” considered her incompetent. The director felt she lacked the potential to be a star.
- Later, she was taken as the lead in the film “Dil Deke Dekho,” opposite Shammi Kapoor. The film was directed by filmmaker Subodh Mukherjee & director-writer Nasir Hussain (Bollywood actor Aamir Khan’s uncle). This led to her becoming a massive star. The film also glimmered Asha and Nasir’s ever-lasting friendship. However, the actress acknowledged their supposed relationship in “The Hit Girl”, her autobiography.
- Hussain and Asha later collaborated on other successful songs, including Pyar Ka Mausam of 1969, Jab Pyar KisiSe Hota Hai of 1961, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon of 1963, Teesri Manzil of 1966, Baharon Ke Sapne of 1967, and Caravan of 1971.
- Her on-screen persona changed with Raj Khosla’s Do Badan (1966), Chirag (1969), Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978), and Shakti Samanta’s Kati Patang, and she became well-known for her performances in sombre, tragic characters.
- Additionally, Kannada, Punjabi, and Gujarati films featured Asha Parekh. She was restricted to what was known as “character roles” in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Later, she turned to television and established her production firm. She created such television programmes as Baaje Payal, Palash ke Phool, Dal Mein Kaala and Kora Kagaz, in addition to directing the Gujarati serial Jyoti in 1990.
- She received the Padma Shri award in 1992 in recognition of her contributions to cinema. Asha Parekh appeared as a cameo in the 1999 movie “Sar Aankhon Par” and then stuck her boots after appearing in “Andolan” three years later.
Her Personal life
Parekh claims that her reputation as being difficult to approach has prevented others from approaching her about marriage, which is why she has remained single. Rumours circulated that she was having a love relationship with her married director Nasir Hussain. In her later years, Parekh acknowledged having a long-term partner but chose not to go into further detail other than to say that the relationship was enjoyable while it lasted. She claimed that Nasir Hussain had become reclusive after the death of his wife. However, she had spoken to him the day before he passed away in 2002.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was established in 1969 and given to Devika Rani in honour of Dadasaheb Phalke, who contributed to Indian cinema by directing Raja Harishchandra, the country’s first feature-length motion picture, in 1913.
- The winners of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award are recognised with the highest praise in the cinema industry. They are commended for their “great contribution to the advancement and growth of Indian cinema.” A shawl, a medallion called the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus), and a monetary reward of ten lakh rupees are included in the prize.
- Yash Chopra, Raj Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Mrinal Sen and Vinod Khanna are a few of the honorees from the past. The most recent winner was the superstar Rajinikanth in 2021.
Recent Announcement
Anurag Singh Thakur, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, announced the honour for the actress on Twitter. He tweeted, “Honoured to announce that Asha Parekh ji would receive recognition and an award from the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury for her outstanding lifelong contribution to Indian cinema.” At the 68th National Film Awards ceremony on Sept 30, President Droupadi Murmu will present the honour to Parekh, 79. A five-person panel made up of Asha Bhosle, Udit Narayan, Hema Malini, T S Nagabharana, and Poonam Dhillon decided whether to propose awarding Parekh the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
