Asha Parekh to be honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2020

Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2020 will go to Bollywood veteran Asha Parekh. News agency ANI tweeted the announcement on Tuesday afternoon. (Also read: ‘At 22, I wanted to be a doctor, even though I couldn’t handle the sight of blood,’ says Asha Parekh)

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 movies throughout her career such as Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961), Teesri Manzil and Do Badan (1966), Kati Patang (1970), Caravan (1971), and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) among others. In the 90s, Asha featured in fewer films. She was seen in Professor Ki Padosan and Bhagyawan (1993), Ghar Ki Izzat (1994) and Andolan (1995).

After she quit acting, Asha became a television director with the Gujarati serial Jyoti. Under her production company, Akruti, Asha produced 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.

Talking about not getting married, the 79-year-old icon told Harper's Bazaar India recently, “I guess I was not destined to get married. Honestly, I would have loved to get married and have children, but it wasn’t meant to be. However, I have absolutely no regrets.” She is often seen with her other celebrity friends on Instagram and on talent reality shows on television. She celebrated her birthday last year with veteran actors Waheeda Rahman and Jackie Shroff.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema. In 2019, it was awarded to Rajinikanth. It is given in the memory of Dadasaheb Phalke, who is regarded as the ‘father of Indian cinema’, having made the first Hindi movie, Raja Harishchandra.