New Delhi: The 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award will be conferred upon superstar actor Rajinikanth, announced union minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javdekar on Thursday.


Prakash Javadekar also took to twitter to congratulate the south-Indian superstar on the achievement. He tweeted: "Happy to announce this year's Dadasaheb Phalke award to one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema Rajnikant. His contribution as actor, producer & screenwriter has been iconic."...



The decision to confer the prestigious award comes days before the single-phased election in Tamil Nadu on April 6, 2021. 

 

BJP was hoping to rope in the popular star to make inroads into Tamil Nadu, but the actor decided against entering active politics, citing health concerns.

 

In Tamil Nadu where cult poltics holds a lot of significance, the BJP believed that Rajinikanth's entry into active politics would bring anti-DMK and Hindu votes into his fold and an alliance with BJP would strengthen its voter base in the southern state. 

 

Heaping praise on the veteran actor for his stellar work, PM Narendra Modi posted a congratulatory message on Twitter.  


"Popular across generations, a body of work few can boast of, diverse roles and an endearing personality...that’s Shri @rajinikanth Ji for you.  It is a matter of immense joy that Thalaiva has been conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Congratulations to him," the prime minister wrote.