Dev Anand, the iconic star of Hindi cinema who passed away in London this month, will be given a special tribute by the younger generation of Bollywood at the “57 Idea Filmfare Awards” at Film City in Mumbai on January 29 next year.
Announcing this at an interaction with media here on Friday, the Worldwide Media Chief Executive Officer Tarun Rai said: “Dev Anand was a stalwart who entertained fans for decades. We are still working on those lines, but how we will do it (homage) cannot be revealed now.”
Pointing out that Filmfare announces awards posthumously for those who made unparalleled contribution to the Indian cinema, Mr. Rai said the next award ceremony will be a memorable one as the 2,500th black lady will be given to a special person. “It is a testament to our long association with Indian cinema. The first black lady went to ‘Do Bhiga Zameen'… The Hindi film industry is celebrating its centenary and Filmfare is celebrating its 60 years.”
Bollywood's latest heartthrob Imran Khan, who has twice hosted the award night along with Ranbir Kapoor, did not say how the younger generation would pay tribute to the legendary star who entertained millions for over four decades. “The first time I hosted the award ceremony I was only six months old in the industry. I was pretty scared because earlier Shah Rukh and Saif used to host it in a witty manner. It pushed me to work hard.”
Imran works behind the stage with writers for at least a month for the award ceremony. Dropping hints that Vidya Balan, whose emboldened avatar in “Dirty Picture” won her rave reviews from critics and fans, was in contention for an award, Imran said his friends thoroughly enjoyed her performance and if the buzz was correct then the actor would walk away with the black lady.
