Shashi Kapoor gets Dadasaheb Phalke award

NEW DELHI: Actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor, who has starred in over 100 Hindi films and is best known for his powerful portrayals in hits like ‘Namak Halaal’, ‘Deewar’ and ‘Kabhie Kabhie’, has been awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award.
The 77-year-old actor is the third from his family to get the award, after father Prithvi Raj Kapoor and elder brother Raj Kapoor.
The award consists of a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a shawl, an official announcement here said. The award is given on the basis of recommendations of a committee of eminent persons, a statement by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry said.
Kapoor will be the 46th Dada Saheb Phalke award winner. Born in 1938, Kapoor hit the spotlight from the age of four, acting in plays directed and produced by his father, while travelling with Prithvi Theatre. He started acting in films as a child in the late 1940s.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Shashi Kapoorji is a fine actor and a stalwart of the film industry. I congratulate him for the Dadasaheb Phalke award.”
His best known performances as child artist were in ‘Aag’ (1948) and ‘Awaara’ (1951), where he played the younger version of the character played by Raj Kapoor. Shashi Kapoor also worked as an assistant director in the 1950s.
Kapoor made his debut as a leading man in the 1961 film ‘Dharmputra’ and went on to appear in more than 116 films. One of India's first actors to go international, he starred in many British and American films, notably Merchant Ivory Productions run by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, such as ‘The Householder’ (1963), ‘Shakespeare Wallah’ (1965), ‘Bombay Talkie’ (1970) and ‘Heat and Dust’ (1982).
In 1978, Kapoor set up his production house Film Valas which produced critically acclaimed films such as ‘Junoon’ (1978), ‘Kalyug’ (1981), ‘36 Chowringhee Lane’ (1981), ‘Vijeta’ (1982) and ‘Utsav’ (1984).
He also produced and directed a fantasy film titled ‘Ajooba’ which had Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor in the lead role.
Kapoor was instrumental in reviving the Prithvi theatre group and was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2011.
I&B minister Arun Jaitley conveyed his congratulations on the occasion while his deputy Rajyavardhan Rathore tweeted, “Congrats to cinema legend Shashi Kapoor for Dadasaheb Phalke Award. His sensitive portrayal of human emotions has touched many a heart.”