Shashi Kapoor to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Shashi Kapoor

Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor will be conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2014.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which is the country's highest honour in cinema and Shashi Kapoor is the 46th winner of the prestigious award and is is given out to honour outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.

ALSO WATCH: Rare pictures of Shashi Kapoor

The yesteryear actor, who turned 77 on March 18, has won the National Award thrice and received the Padma Bhushan in 2011.

Shashi Kapoor

Having acted in in 160 films, he has done diverse roles from being Bollywood blockbusters like 'Deewar', 'Kabhi Kabhie' and 'Trishul' to critically-acclaimed films like ‘Jab Jab Phool Khile', 'Kalyug', 'Junoon' and 'Muhafiz'.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award will be given out with the National Film Awards this year. Last year's recipient was lyricist-director Gulzar.

The younger brother of late Raj and Shammi Kapoor, who were both actors par excellence, he started his tryst with acting at the age of four, with plays directed and produced by his father Prithviraj Kapoor.

He started acting in films as a child in the late 1940s. His best known performances as child artist were in "Aag" (1948) and "Awaara" (1951), where he played the younger version of the character played by his elder brother Raj.

When he grew up, he made his debut as a leading man in the 1961 film "Dharmputra", and went on to appear in more than 100 Hindi films.

A popular name in Bollywood during the 1960s, 1970s and until the mid-1980s, Shashi was one of IndiaÂ's first actors to go international. He is known internationally for starring in many British and American films, notably Merchant Ivory Proudctions run by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, such as "The Householder" (1963), "Shakespeare Wallah" (1965), "Bombay Talkie" (1970) and "Heat and Dust"(1982).

He also starred in other British and American films such as "Siddhartha" (1972) and "Muhafiz" (1994).

In 1978, Shashi set up his production house Film Valas, which produced critically acclaimed films such as "Junoon" (1978), "Kalyug" (1981), "36 Chowringhee Lane" (1981), "Vijeta" (1982) and "Utsav" (1984).

He also produced and directed a fantasy film titled "Ajooba", which had Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi in the lead role.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award entitles him to a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh and a shawl.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley conveyed his congratulations on the occasion, a statement said.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, congratulating Shashi Kapoor on the award, said in a tweet that "his sensitive portrayal of human emotions has touched many a heart".

Congratulating his uncle, a proud nephew Rishi Kapoor tweeted, "Yessssssss! Shashi Kapoor to get the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award for contribution to Indian Cinema. Well deserved uncle. God Bless!"

Third Padma Bhushan and third Phalke award in the family. Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor being the other recipients."