Istvan Szabo and Martin Scorsese get the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award
Panaji: Be it Basanti, Seeta, Geeta or Dream Girl, Hema Malini has immortalized every character she has played on the big screen, etching herself and the characters she portrayed in the hearts of the audience forever.
In recognition of her quintessential contribution to the world of cinema, the 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India, Goa conferred the two-time Member of Parliament and veteran actor, dancer, producer and director of Hindi cinema, with the Indian Personality of the Year Award, at the opening ceremony here today.
Also, noted Hungarian filmmaker Istvan Szabo as well as Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese were conferred the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award for their outstanding contribution to world cinema. An extraordinary artist, Istvan Szabo achieved international success with his film Mephisto in the year 1981. The film is the first Hungarian film to have won an Oscar for the best foreign language film. His movies broke the barrier of language and touched viewers’ hearts everywhere around the world. Szabo in a video message, reminisced about his meeting with the legendary Satyajit Ray, which took place more than 30 years ago in the then Madras. “Ray invited me and my wife for dinner, which was excellent. We had a fantastic discussion on his films and film-making, our profession. It was a profound discussion that I will never forget.”
Scorsese is regarded as an institution in itself. He has created masterpieces like Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Departed, Shutter Island and The World of the Wall Street, among many other films which have captured the global imagination.
Hema Malini is regarded as one of the most successful actors of the Indian film industry. Speaking on the occasion, she said, she was happy to receive the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award 2021.
Complimenting the actor, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur said the actor has enthralled generations of film lovers. “Everyone has seen Hema Malini on screen, but the way she plays the role of a Member of Parliament and the way she brings forth to Parliament the issues of her Constituency Mathura, everyone should learn from that.”
Hema Malini was born in Tamil Nadu and she made her acting debut in 1963 with the Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam. She entered the Hindi cinema with a bang as the lead actress of Sapno Ka Saudagar in 1968. After that, there was no looking back and she acted in over 150 films like Sholay, Seeta Aur Geeta, Satte pe Satta and Baghban, among many others.
A doyen of Hindi Cinema, Hema Malini was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2000. She has also served as the Chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation.
Also a trained Bharatnatyam dancer, she had received the Sopori Academy of Music & Performing Arts (SaMaPa) Vitasta award in 2006 for her service to Indian dance. In the 2014 General Election to Lok Sabha, she was elected as the Member of Lok Sabha from Mathura constituency.
Lyricist and Chairperson of Central Board of Film Corporation Prasoon Joshi, the other recipient of the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award this year, was also present at the opening ceremony. He will receive the award on the closing day of the festival.
– global bihari bureau
