Dada Saheb Phalke Award will be conferred to actor Asha Parekh this year, Union Minister I&B Minister Anurag Thakur said today.
one of the most influential actors in the history of Hindi films, Parekh peaked in the 1960s and 1970s. Asha Parekh started her career as a child actor and was cast by filmmaker Bimal Roy in Maa (1952) when she was 10.
After a few films, the actor took a break to complete her education and returned as the lead actress in writer-director Nasir Hussain’s Dil Deke Dekho (1959), which also starred Shammi Kapoor.Asha and Hussain went on to deliver multiple hits together — Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Teesri Manzil (1966), Baharon Ke Sapne (1967), Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), and Caravan (1971). With Raj Khosla’s Do Badan (1966), Chirag (1969) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) and Shakti Samanta’s Kati Patang, her screen image underwent a change and she was known for her performances in serious, tragic roles.