Amitabh Bachchan And A R Rahman Receive Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award

Actor Amitabh Bachchan received the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar at the 3rd Late Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award ceremony on Wednesday.

The event was hosted in Mumbai on Wednesday in memory of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar.

New Delhi: Actor Amitabh Bachchan received the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar at the 3rd Late Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award ceremony. The event was hosted in Mumbai's Vile Parle area on Wednesday in memory of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. The renowned singer—the oldest of the five Mangeshkar siblings—passed away in 2022 from multiple organ failure. Her family and the charity instituted the award in her honour.

Besides the Bollywood actor, many other distinguished artistes from the Hindi, Marathi, and Tamil film industries were also honoured at the award ceremony.

The Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award was given to Amitabh Bachchan to honour his outstanding contribution to the film industry throughout a career spanning more than five decades. The veteran actor is known for films such as 'Zanjeer', 'Deewar', 'Chupke Chupke', 'Mohabbatein', and 'Piku'.

"I'm fortunate to receive this award today. I never really regarded myself worthy of such an award, but Hridyanath (Mangeshkar) ji tried hard so that I could come here. He even invited me for this ceremony last year," Amitabh Bachchan said at the event.

"Hridaynath ji, I apologise to you for last time. I had then told you I was unwell. I was healthy but didn't want to come here. This year I had no excuse, so I had to come here," Bachchan said in his award acceptance speech. The actor said his father and celebrated Hindi poet Harivansh used to liken Lata Mangeshkar's voice to "shehad ki dhaar" (a stream of honey)," he added.

Singer Usha Mangeshkar presented the award to Bachchan. Earlier, veteran singer Asha Bhosle, the second Mangeshkar sibling, was supposed to give away the trophies but gave the event a miss.

Every year, a person who has made a groundbreaking contribution to the country, is presented the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar award.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first one to receive it, succeeded by Asha Bhosle in 2023.

The music maverick A R Rahman also received the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar for contribution to Indian music at the event. Over the decades, Rahman has collaborated with Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle on several songs. 

"It's such a great honour. This is so inspiring. When my father (composer R K Shekhar) was working in the film industry in the south, he used to wake up facing Lata Mangeshkar ji's photograph," Rahman said while receiving his award.

"When I became a composer from the south, the enormous love I got from you guys changed my life. There's one thing I tell my family and kids: 'Look at the Mangeshkar family, their dedication'. Today, we need to celebrate that dedication of the family. I am a student, I learn from all of you," he added. 

Meanwhile, Marathi writer Manjiri Phadke received Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar (Vagvilasini Puraskar) for contribution to literature. Actor Randeep Hooda, who recently starred in 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar', was honoured with the Vishesh Puraskar for best film production and actor.