Waheeda Rehman receives Dadasaheb Phalke Award, dedicates it to film fraternity
New Delhi (PTI): Screen icon Waheeda Rehman on Tuesday became the eighth woman artiste to receive the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest recognition in the field of Indian cinema, an honour she dedicated to her "dear film industry" and its various departments.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to Rehman, 85, during the 69th National Film Awards ceremony, held at Vigyan Bhawan here.
The cinema veteran, who received a standing ovation from the A-list gathering as she walked to the stage, spoke about how filmmaking is a collaborative process.
"I feel very honoured and humbled... But whatever I have achieved today, it is because of my dear film industry. Luckily, I got to work with top directors, producers, filmmakers, technicians, writers, dialogue writers, music directors and musicians," Rehman said in her acceptance speech.
"I got a lot of support, respect and love from them," she said, also crediting the make-up artists, hair and costume designers.
"...Which is why I am sharing this award with all the departments of the film industry. They gave me a lot of respect, support and love from the very beginning. A film is not made by just one person, we need each other," she added.
The five-member jury -- comprising Rehman's close friend and last year's Dadasaheb awardee Asha Parekh, actors Chiranjeevi, Paresh Rawal, Prosenjit Chatterjee and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur -- selected Rehman for the prestigious honour.
Rehman made her debut in Hindi films opposite Dev Anand in Guru Dutt's 1956 film "CID" and went on to build a stellar career of over five decades, including classics "Pyaasa", "Kaagaz ke Phool" and "Chaudhvin Ka Chand", "Guide" as well as later hits such as "Kabhi Kabhie" and "Khamoshi".
The announcement of the Dadasaheb Phalke honour coincided with the birth centenary of her "Guide" and "CID" co-star Dev Anand on September 26, 2023.
Rehman, who forayed in cinema with the 1955 Telugu films "Rojulu Maraayi" and "Jayasimha", has worked in more than 90 films across languages.
In the 2000s, she appeared in "Om Jai Jagdish", "Rang De Basanti", "Delhi-6" and "The Song of Scorpions". Her last film was the 2021 sports drama "Skater Girl".
She received a National Film Award for her role as a clanswoman in "Reshma aur Shera". She has already been honoured with a Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
Film actor-producer Devika Rani was the first Dadasaheb Phalke awardee. Other female artists to have received the honour are Sulochana, Kanan Devi, Durga Khote,
Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Asha Parekh.
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Delhi HC reserves order on NewsClick HR head's bail plea in UAPA case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its order on a bail plea of NewsClick's human resources department chief Amit Chakravarty in a case lodged against the news portal under anti-terror law UAPA over charges that it received money to spread pro-China propaganda.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma reserved the order after Chakravarty's counsel submitted that the chargesheet has already been filed in the case and the petitioner, after turning an approver, has been cited as a prosecution witness.
The lawyer said the high court has the discretion under section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to grant bail to Chakravarty.
The counsel for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said the prosecution has no objection if the relief is granted to him.
Chakravarty's lawyer said his client has been granted pardon in the case by the trial court and is also cooperating in the probe.
In January, the trial court allowed Chakravarty to turn an approver in the case and granted pardon to him.
Chakravarty has claimed that he is in possession of "material information" about the case, which he is willing to disclose to the Delhi Police.
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and Chakravarty on October 3 last year. Both of them are currently in judicial custody.
According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal came from China to "disrupt the sovereignty of India" and cause disaffection against the country.
The FIR also accused Purkayastha of conspiring with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Raids were conducted at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on October 3 last year on the suspects named in the FIR and those whose names surfaced following data analysis, police said.
Around 300 electronic gadgets were seized from the offices of NewsClick and residences of the journalists who were examined.
Following the raids, 46 individuals, including nine female journalists, were questioned by the Special Cell.
