PIFF to honour Saira Banu and Shashikala with lifetime awards

Updated on: 04 January,2011 07:50 AM IST |
Vivek Sabnis |

This time at the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF), Shashikala and Saira Banu will be honoured with the lifetime achievement award during the grand opening ceremony on January 6 at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. After Dilip Kumar, who is the first recipient of this prestigious award, now his wife and veteran actress Saira Banu will get the same honour after eight years. Dr Jabbar Patel, director of PIFF, said both were acclaimed actors of the 60s and 70s. "Shashikala is a Maharashtrian actress who has contributed extensively to Hindi cinema as well," he said.

Earlier, Dev Anand, Lata Mangeshkar, Wahida Rehman, Vaijayanthi Mala, Yash Chopra, Asha Parekh, Dharmandra, Sharmila Tagore, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Sulochana, Hema Malini, Rajesh Khanna and Dr Shreeram Lagoo were honoured by PIFF for lifetime contribution.

PIFF 2011 has been dedicated to Bollywood icon Madhubala and Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. "The best 14 films have been shortlisted out of 350 films for the World Cinema competition," said Samar Nakhate, chief of the PIFF Film Selection Committee. The seven Marathi films shortlisted for competition out of the
36 entries are Baboo Band Baja, Champions, Arambha, Aaghaat, Mee Sindhutai Sapkal, Lalbaug Parel and Taryanche Bait.

This year retrospectives on renowned Greek director Michael Cacoyannis, Canadian producer Rock Demers, and actor-director Kamal Hasan will be showcased. "Rock Demers is a member of the jury and we have invited Kamal Hasan," said Dr Patel.