To be bestowed ‘Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema’ award.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Awards will honor Bollywood screen legend Shatrughan Sinha with the “Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema” award at this year’s function, set to take place in Tampa Bay, Florida at the end of the month.
Akin to a Lifetime Achievement Award, the recognition will be for Sinha’s illustrious 45 year-long career in the Hindi film industry. The actor has registered a number of iconic performances over the course of his career, with a resume that includes films such as Kaala Patthar, Shaan, and Naseeb. He is best known for his intense, passionate monologues, as well as his utterance of the single-word phrase “Khamosh!” (“Silence!”), which caught on like wildfire with the movie-going masses of the 1970s and 1980s.
Sinha released a statement, through IIFA, expressing his gratitude at winning such a prestigious award.
“It has truly been a long but fulfilling journey in the movie business and I thank IIFA for commemorating my eventful career with this prestigious award,” said Sinha. “The honour not only humbles me, but makes me feel loved by a country where cinema is the ultimate equalizer of the masses.”
By winning this award, Sinha joins the ranks of several other luminaries of Bollywood, including producer/director Yash Chopra (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), director Ramesh Sippy (Sholay), singer Asha Bhosle, and writer/lyricist Javed Akhtar (Don), the father of writer/producer/director/
Born in Patna, Bihar in 1946, Sinha’s first screen credit came in 1969. He is married to Poonam Sinha, also an actor, and is the father of current Bollywood starlet Sonakshi Sinha, who has a number of hugely successful films under her belt, both critically and commercially. Over the past few years, Sinha has turned his attention away from films and towards politics. He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha twice, and was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha in 2009.
The 15th Annual IIFA Awards kicks off on April 23rd, with several days of events leading up to the award ceremony itself at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, on Saturday, April 26. Several of Bollywood’s biggest stars are expected to be in attendance, with tens of thousands of guests set to fill the seats at the stadium, and millions around the world expected to tune in.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com