Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman will be conferred with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.

Anurag Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting announced that the legendary actress has been selected for the country’s top honour in the field of cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

Waheeda Rehman said that she was surprised when she heard the news that she will be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award. 

“I was packing to go somewhere, so it was a jhatka for me for a second, and I couldn’t believe,” she tells us, adding, “God has been very kind to me. I am happy and feel honoured. Also, I’m thankful to the ministry for honouring me with this prestigious award. I am very thankful to my family, friends, fans, and colleagues.”

Thakur took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news. He wrote, “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. Waheeda ji has been critically acclaimed for her roles in Hindi films, prominent among them, Pyaasa, Kaagaz ke Phool, Chaudhavi Ka Chand, Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam, Guide, Khamoshi and several others. (sic)”

He further added, “In her career spanning over 5 decades, she has essayed her roles with extreme finesse, leading to a National Film Award for her role as a clanswoman in the film Reshma and Shera. A Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee, Waheeda ji has exemplified dedication, commitment and the strength of a Bharatiya Nari who can achieve the highest level of professional excellence with her hardwork (sic).”

He concluded by saying, “At a time when the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam has been passed by Parliament, her being awarded with this lifetime achievement award is a fitting tribute to one of the leading ladies of Indian Cinema and one who has dedicated her life after films to philanthropy and the greater good of society. I congratulate her and humbly pay my regards to her rich body of work that is an intrinsic part of our film history. (sic)”

The other winners of this prestigious award include Rajinikanth,  Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Gulzar, Pran, Prithviraj Kapoor, Manna Dey, Vinod Khanna and more.