Yesteryear Bollywood actress Asha Parekh attended the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2022) in Goa recently. Her film Kati Patang was screened at IFFI in the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Retro section, dedicated to Parekh, who was the winner of this award in 2020.
Asha Parekh being honoured at IFFI 2022 |
Participating in the screening and interacting with festival delegates, she said that through the years, IFFI has become much bigger and it gives an opportunity for producers to showcase and sell their films. “I love my film industry. For film lovers, IFFI is the best place to be, as it has got people from all over the country coming together,” she said and thanked IFFI, NFDC and IB ministry for the felicitation.
Sharing her experience of getting honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2020, the legendary star said that it is a long time after which a lady has been accorded with this award.
Asha Parekh at IFFI 2022 |
Expressing the surprise and pleasure over receiving the award to the audiences at IFFI’s In-Conversation session, she said, “I am also the first Gujarati to get this award. So, it was a great thing for me. I was thankful firstly to God because it was too big a surprise for me.”
The award was accorded for her exemplary lifetime contribution to Indian Cinema. She was conferred with this highest award in India in the field of cinema by the President of India Droupadi Murmu at the 68th National Film Awards held on September 30, 2022 in New Delhi.
Asha Parekh at IFFI 2022 |
During the session moderated by a senior journalist, Parekh spoke about her experience of working in various films. Apart from acting she also shared how she explored her career in TV direction and production. She said that Gujarati serial Jyoti, which turned out to be a success, gave her confidence. This motivated her further to come up with more TV serials.
The actress also talked about her association with various organisations and associations related to the film industry. She became President of Cine Artistes’ Association from 1994 to 2000. She was also the first female chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) of India, holding the post from 1998- 2001. She served as treasurer of Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA).
Credited with many super hit films, Asha was fondly called the ‘Jubilee Girl’ of Hindi cinema in 1960s and 70s. Starting off as a child actor, her debut was with Dil Deke Dekho (1959) as the lead, which became a big hit, catapulting her into stardom. She went on to act in over 95 films, with some of the top filmmakers and leading actors of that time.
