The 67th National Film Awards were presented by Vice President Venkiah Naidu in Delhi yesterday. Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has won the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the highest award in Indian cinema.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is an award given by the Government of India in recognition of a lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. The award has been given since 1969, the 100th birth anniversary of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema.
Receiving the award, Rajinikanth thanked Tamil director K Balachander, his colleague in Karnataka, bus driver Raj Bahadur and brother Satyanarayana Rao for bringing him to the film. “I dedicate this award to my esteemed K Balachander Sir. At this moment I remember him with great gratitude. I also remember my brother Satyanarayana. He was the one who taught me from my father’s position and brought me up with values and spirituality,” Rajinikanth said.
” Raj Bahadur was my colleague who was a transport bus driver in Karnataka. While working as a bus conductor, he realized my inner passion for art and inspired me to act in films, ”said Rajini, who received the award.
But who exactly is Raj Bahadur?
P Raj Bahadur, 76, hails from Chamarajapet and is a retired driver of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). What happened to you in Karnataka minutes after Rajinikanth received the award? Raj Bahadur packed his suitcase and left for Chennai to see his best friend.
‘He did not need to mention his name when he received the prestigious award. The words of his award-winning speech are an indication that his honesty and humility have not forgotten his old days and the path he has traveled so far. He will never forget the friends who encouraged him. Whenever he came to Bangalore to visit his relatives, he used to visit his friends, ” Raj Bahadur told the media.
He also did not forget to tell the story of their long 50 year friendship. Raj Bahadur first met Rajinikanth in 1970. He remembers that at that time he was a bus driver and Rajini was a bus conductor. “Rajini has never been like other conductors. Rajini played the lead role in all the plays organized by the Bus Workers’ Association. But Rajini never dreamed of becoming an actor. Rajini was sent to the Madras Film Institute by force, “Bahadur said of Atmamitra with proud words.
It was then that Rajini starred in a play hosted by renowned Tamil director K Balachander as the chief guest. “One day Rajini came to Bangalore to see me and told me that Balachander Sir had asked me to learn Tamil, but he did not say anything else. Rajinikanth himself learned Tamil like green water, “he added.
Next time Rajini met Sir Balachander. He said that if he knew how to speak Tamil he would have a role and if not he would miss the opportunity. But he himself was shocked to hear Rajini’s Tamil. That is how Rajinikanth played the role of ‘Rare Raga’ released in 1975. Everything that happened after that is history! ”, Said Raj Bahadur.
Raj Bahadur retired in 2005. But the friendship with Rajini is still kept sacred. Bahadur added that the love and affection not only between Rajinikanth and me, but between him and all his friends has remained unchanged for decades.
Other National Film Awards:
Priyadarshan’s Mohanlal starrer ‘Marakkar: The Lion of the Arabian Sea’ won the Best Film award. ‘Kallanottam’ directed by Rahul Riji Nair won the award for Best Malayalam Film. Mathukutty Xavier won the Best Newcomer Award for ‘Helen’. Gireesh Gangadharan won the Best Cinematography award for ‘Jellikatti’.
Kangana Ranaut won the Best Actress award and Dhanush and Manoj Bajpayee won the Best Actor award. The best director is Sanjay Pooran Singh Chauhan. Vijay Sethupathi won the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in ‘Super Deluxe’.
‘It was an indescribable moment to win the National Award for Best Actor at the same venue where my leader won the prestigious Dada Sahib Phalke Award. Thanks to the National Award Jury for this honor. Thanks to the media for their continued support, ” Dhanush wrote in his Instagram post accepting the award.
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