Superstar Rajinikanth received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 67th National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi today, October 25. Speaking at the ceremony, Rajinikanth dedicated his award to his mentor K Balachander, his elder brother Satyanarayana Gaikwad and his best friend Raj Bahadur, who was the Karnataka bus transport driver when Rajinikanth was a conductor.
RAJINIKANTH DEDICATES HIS DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD TO HIS MENTOR, BROTHER AND FRIEND
The award ceremony was delayed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Today, the 67th National Film Awards ceremony took place in New Delhi.
Honourable Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presented the award to Rajinikanth and congratulated him. Rajinikanth, who wore a crisp white kurta and pyjama, received the prestigious award with a smile on his face.
Speaking at the gathering, Rajinikanth dedicated the award to his mentor, elder brother and his long-time friend. He said, “I am extremely happy to receive this prestigious award and my heartfelt thanks to the central government for honouring me with the Dadasaheb Phalke award. I dedicate this award to my mentor and guru K Balachander sir. At this moment, I remember him with gratitude. And my brother Satyanarayana Gaikwad, who is like my father, for teaching me great values and inculcating spirituality in me. Also, my thanks to my friend and colleague, Raj Bahadur, who was a bus transport driver. When I was the bus conductor, he was the one who identified the actor in me and encouraged me to join cinema. My gratitude to the honourable directors and producers who believed in me and did films with me. Thanks to technicians, distributors, exhibitors, the media and all my fans. My thanks to all the Tamil people – Without you, I am nobody.”
RAJINIKANTH’S LIFE AND CAREER
Rajinikanth made his debut with late director K Balachander’s Apoorva Ragangal in 1975. With his career spanning over four decades, the actor, who is fondly called Thalaivar, has acted in over 160 films. He is hailed as the Superstar of Indian cinema.
On the work front, Rajinikanth is waiting for the release of his upcoming film, Annaatthe. Directed by Siruthai Siva,the film will hit the theaters on November 4 , on the occasion of Diwali. The film is a rural entertainer, produced by Sun Pictures.