Big B receives 'Pune Pandit' award

Bollywood superstar and veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan received a hearty welcome from the fully packed Tilak Smarak Mandir auditorium and hundreds of fans waiting outside as he received the Pune Pandit award yesterday.

City-based NGO Art and Music Foundation conferred the award for the year 2013 to the actor. The police also had to resort minor lathi-charge to control the enthusiastic fans trying to catch the glimpse of the star. The situation was brought under control within a few minutes and no major incidents took place.

Wearing a burgundy colored Jodhpuri suit and his trademark glasses; the actor thanked the people for showering him with love and recognition while he accepted the shawl, shreephal and a memento as the award.

Atul Kulkarni, senior associate and coordinator of The Art and Music Foundation, while handing over the award to the actor said that the Pune Pandit Award is given to the artist to celebrate his accomplishments and contribution to Indian cinema.

Speaking in Hindi, Bachchan said that it's dedication and honesty that helps one to achieve a certain position in one's field. He also thanked his fans and audience for praying for him during his worst times. He said, "When I was badly hurt during the shooting of the film Coolie, even the doctors had nearly declared me as dead. But all thanks to the blessings and prayers of you audience, I came out of that fatal incident."

The actor went back to his childhood days while sharing his memories with the audience. He said, "Cinema has become an integral part of our life today. My parents used to watch a particular film before allowing me to see the same. Now, cinema runs parallel to our culture. As an actor, I just do what I am told to do; otherwise the films are truly contributed by the creative people like writers and directors."

>> Bachchan thanked all his fans for supporting him during difficult times
>> Police had to resort to minor lathi-charge to control the crowds