Dadasaheb Phalke Award -- 80th B’Day Gift for evergreen ‘hit-girl’ Asha Parekh! -Chaitanya Padukone

Versatile veteran lead-actress ‘Padma Shri’ Asha Parekh will soon be honoured with the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award <2020>, the highest formal recognition in the field of Indian Cinema, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur announced today.. The 79-year-old actor, who will celebrate her 80th birthday this Sunday on October 2nd, is supposedly in Boston where she was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the India International Film Festival of Boston (IIFFB-2022). Apparently, the exuberant charismatic actress-classical danseuse Asha-jee is sentimentally delighted with two back-to-back prestigious awards being conferred on her.

Credit By- Chaitanya Padukone  

Best known for landmark Hindi films such as "Dil Deke Dekho", "Kati Patang", "Teesri Manzil", and "Caravan", Asha is considered one of the most influential acclaimed actresses of all time in Hindi cinema. In one of her interviews she had recalled, “At 22, I aspired to be a medical-doctor, even though I couldn’t handle the sight of blood,”

The adventurous Asha made her acting debut as an adult with Dil Deke Dekho (1959) opposite Shammi Kapoor. Earlier, Asha had started her career as a child artist with the name Baby Asha Parekh and featured in Maa (1952) and Baap Beti (1954). Asha featured in many musical-hit movies throughout her career such as Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961), Teesri Manzil, Do Badan (1966), Kati Patang (1970), Caravan (1971), Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) among others.

She was elected the President of the Cine Artistes' Association from 1994 to 2000. Cinema-savvy Asha Parekh was reportedly the first Female Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) of India. She held the post from 1998 to 2001 for which she reportedly received no salary. Later, she became the Treasurer of the Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) and was later also elected as one of its office-bearers.

Dharmender, Asha Parekh

After she quit regular acting, Asha became a television director with the TV serial Jyoti. Under her production company, Akruti, the enterprising Asha produced TV shows serials like Palash ke Phool, Baaje Payal, Kora Kagaz and Dal Mein Kaala. In 2008, she was a judge on the reality show Tyohaar Dhamaaka on 9X.

In 2017, her candid autobiography book (co-written by eminent film-journalist-film-maker-critic-author Khalid Mohamed) titled "The Hit Girl" was released. a star-studded formal event with Salman Khan, Waheeda Rehman. Aruna Irani. and Dharmendra among the Guests of Honour.