NEW DELHI: At the 65th National Film Award ceremony, late actress Sridevi was honoured with the National Award in Vigyan Bhavan in the capital city.
Boney Kapoor along with his daughters Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor received the award on behalf of the late actress. Sridevi won the Best Actor award for her performance in the film ‘Mom’ (2017).
Boney Kapoor got broke down when Sridevi’s name was being announced on stage. He along with his daughters received the award on his late wife’s behalf, which was presented to them by President Ram Nath Kovind and Information and Broadcasting and Textiles Minister, Smriti Irani.
Manish Malhotra, renowned designer and a close family friend, revealed that Janhvi was wearing her mother’s sari for the occasion.
The bereaved husband and famed producer said that Sridevi had given her best to each and every film that she was part of during the span of her career, and it is unfortunate that she is getting her first National Film Award after her untimely death.
When a Doordarshan anchor asked Boney for his remarks on Sridevi’s second National Film Award, he corrected her saying, “First, let me correct you. This is her first National Film Award. It is a very proud moment for all us. At the same time, a sad moment. We wish she was here with us. She truly deserves it, and she has been around for almost 50 years and done almost 300 films.”
“She has always given her best to all her films. Finally, unfortunately, after she has left, that she has been awarded with this honour,” she added.
Boney’s brother and illustrious actor Anil Kapoor also shared his sentiments on an emotional picture of the family, on the micro-blogging platform Twitter, calling it a “proud & heartwarming moment”.
Such a proud & heartwarming moment for all of us to watch these beautiful people accept an honor for the most incredible person there ever was! #Sridevi #NationalFilmAwards @BoneyKapoor #JhanviKapoor #KhushiKapoor pic.twitter.com/AoLeLisdde
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) May 3, 2018
Boney thanked the Indian government, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the jury as well as Mr India’s director Shekhar Kapur, all who graced the progress of the occasion. He then added, “It is a very proud moment for all of us, but sadly, she is not around for this proud moment.”
When Boney was asked to give advice to all the young fans who wanted to be like Sridevi, he got his daughters forward and said, “Like my daughters, there are many more young ladies who aspire to be like my late wife Sridevi. I would only ask them to be as dedicated, focused, sincere, and hardworking as her.”
Boney concluded, saying that Sridevi will be forever alive through her work.
“The world is watching all that she did, all that she achieved… Thanks to television and the digital era, she will continue entertaining people forever… As long as the entertainment industry exists, as long as the media exists, she will continue to entertain everybody,” he said.