68th National Film Awards 2022: Asha Parekh receives Dadasaheb Phalke award, Suriya, Ajay Devgn get best actor

New Delhi, Sep 30: Legendary actress Asha Parekh received the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award today for her exemplary lifetime contribution to Indian Cinema. This is the highest recognition in the field of Indian cinema.

The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.

"It feels great. It feels as if all my desires are now fulfilled...Initially, I could not believe that I am getting the award. Today it feels that I have actually received the award," said veteran actress Asha Parekh after receiving Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated veteran film actor Asha Parekh on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Asha Parekh Ji is an outstanding film personality. In her long career, she has shown what versatility is. I congratulate her on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke award. https://t.co/jiZJOogTPG

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 30, 2022

Actor Suriya bagged his first-ever National Film Award for Best Actor, for his brilliant performance as Nedumaaran Rajangam AKA Maara in Soorarai Pottru. This win is unarguably a very important milestone for the Tamil Film Industry as well, as Soorarai Pottru is the first-ever direct OTT film to bag this honour.

Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn shared the Best Actor Award for his 2020 historical film, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Previously, Devgn had bagged National Awards for Zakhm (1998) and The Legend Of Bhagat Singh (2002).

Tribal folk singer from Kerala, Nanjiyamma received the national award for the song she wrote and sang for the film, Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020), directed by late KR Sachidanandan. The movie won several awards at the national film awards held on Friday.

Lyricist and screenwriter Manoj Muntashir recieves the award for Best Lyricist for Saina.

Speaking on the occasion, President Draupadi Murmu congratulated Dadasaheb Phalke Awaree Asha Parekh for her special contribution to the world of cinema and said that this award to her is a recognition of women empowerment.

Films have the widest impact among all the art forms, the President remarked, and added that films are not just an industry but also a medium for an artistic expression of our value system. Cinema is an effective tool for nation building as well.

Murmu said that as the nation celebrates Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, feature and non-feature films related to the life stories of freedom fighters, known and unknown, will be welcomed by Indian audience. The audience desires production of such films which bolster unity in the society, accelerate the pace of development of the nation and strengthen the efforts of environmental protection.

Highlighting the recognition enjoyed by Indian music abroad, the President said that has been a great medium for spreading India's soft-power globally. She further remarked that In July this year, a meeting of foreign ministers of the member countries of Shanghai Co-operation Organization was held in Uzbekistan where a popular song from a 1960s Hindi film was performed by a foreign band at the closing ceremony.

Adding further, she said that to make a more effective use of this soft-power, we must enhance the quality of our movies. "Now in our country movies made in one region are becoming very popular in all other regions as well. In this way Indian cinema is tying all the countrymen in a cultural thread. This film community has a huge contribution to the Indian society", she said.