It is happening since last few years, wherein people begin congratulating the in-news recipients of A Dadasaheb Phalke Award and get later informed that this was not the prestigious award they had in mind, but another reputed award given by an association. The confusion is quite evident as the title is same and all the awards are being given respectfully remembering the pioneer producer-director-writer, Dadasaheb Phalke, known as ‘The Father of Indian Cinema’.
So with a motive of sorting them all, the first and the foremost award is the Dadasaheb Phalke Award as the highest honour in cinema given by the Government of India in its National Film Awards annually. Its officially given for ‘outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema’, selected by a committee having reputed veteran personalities from the Indian Film Industry. The award was most recently given to Vinod Khanna, the first one given posthumously, opening a new pandora box of controversies. Besides the family of Dadasaheb Phalke is also not involved or associated with the award given by the Government of India.
Probably that was the reason, a tradition of (the second) Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award got initiated in the beginning of the new millennium by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy - an all India association/body formed taking along the family members of Dadasaheb Phalke, which has nothing to do with the primary government award.
The Academy annually acknowledges (more than one) achievers in various crafts related to the film industry including writers, actors, directors, technicians and more.
However in the last couple of years, two other similar sounding awards have emerged as Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards and Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards creating a big confusion among the people.
But Chandrashekhar Pusalkar, the grandson of Dadasaheb Phalke clears all doubts explaining the situation in his own words (as published in many leading news portals). And he says,
“After 2015, due to some differences, some people started Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards and afterwards some others started Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards. So, from the same Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards, another two parts have been formed. I used to attend all three award ceremonies because they used to call us as a guest, but my only request to them is they should come under one umbrella by burying their differences,"
The statement should clear all confusions and doubts about the four Dadasaheb Phalke Awards repeatedly coming in the news since last few years.
Cheers!
(Note : The statement included in article has been published by Times of India, Scroll and more)
(The BTC article was first published on UC-News Mobile App in April 2018)
