Waheeda Rehman, who made her debut 68 years ago and went on to act in cult classics such as Pyaasa and Guide, was on Tuesday named recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the government’s highest recognition in the field of cinema.
“I’m doubly happy because it is Dev Anand’s birthday. I think ‘taufa unko milna tha, mujhe mil gaya’,” Rehman told PTI on the birth centenary of her frequent collaborator.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur made the announcement on X.
“I feel an immense sense of happiness and honour in announcing that Waheeda Rehman ji is being bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award this year for her stellar contribution to Indian Cinema,” Thakur wrote on the microblogging site.
The award for the year 2021 will be presented during the 69th National Film awards ceremony.
The five-member jury comprised Rehman’s close friend and last year’s Dadasaheb award winner Asha Parekh, actors Chiranjeevi, Paresh Rawal and Prosenjit Chatterjee as well as filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
Regarded as one of the finest actors of the country, Rehman, also an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, made her debut in Hindi cinema with Guru Dutt’s “CID” opposite Dev Anand.
After that dazzling beginning came a string of arthouse and mainstream films, the actor comfortably straddling the twin worlds of Kaagaz ke Phool and Ram aur Shyam.
The remarkable career spanning more than six decades and 90 films in different languages saw her segue from black and white to colour, and from lead roles to character cameos.
Some of her most memorable performances were with Guru Dutt — Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam and Chaudhvin Ka Chand. With Dev Anand came the much loved Guide and Prem Pujari. The filmography includes Khamoshi, Kabhi Kabhie, Reshma Aur Shera, which got her the National Award, and Trishul.
Remembering Dev Anand, Rehman, who has earlier won the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, said it is a double celebration.
Born in Chennai, Rehman made her acting debut with the 1955 Telugu films Rojulu Maraayi and Jayasimha.
Her most recent film appearance was in 2021’s Skater Girl, a coming-of-age sports drama. (PTI)
