Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has been selected for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award.
Union minister Prakash Javadekar took to Twitter to announce the news. Calling the actor a "legend," the minister said Amitabh Bachchan inspired two generations of people and added that the entire country and international community is happy that the actor has been chosen for the award.
"The legend Amitabh Bachchan who entertained and inspired for 2 generations has been selected unanimously for #DadaSahabPhalke award. The entire country and international community is happy," the minister tweeted.
Instituted in 1969 in honour of producer-director Dadasaheb Phalke, the award is given to those who have made outstanding contributions to cinema.
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The 76-year-old screen icon, who rose to stardom with his 'Angry Young Man' persona capturing the anger of the young generation in the 1970s with films such as Zanjeer, Deewar and Sholay, continues to be a force to reckon with in Indian cinema. In a career spanning five decades, Bachchan has given memorable performances in several films and is a four-time National Film Award winner. He has also been honoured with Padma Shri (1984), Padma Bhushan (2001) and Padma Vibhushan (2015) for his contributions to arts.
(With PTI inputs)