Actor Nana Patekar will be conferred with the Guru Basava Puraskar for 2017 for his efforts to help farmers in distress in Maharashtra.
Bidar-based Basava Seva Pratishtana will give away the prize to the actor during the Vachana Vijayotsava to be held in Bidar on February 9, 10 and 11.
The award includes a cash prize of Rs. 51,000, a citation and a statuette of Basaveshwara, the 12th century saint-poet. The three-day festival will have scholars speaking on the philosophy of Basaveshwara.
Interestingly, last year’s award winner was Prakash Amte, who Nana Patekar played on screen in a Marathi film. Earlier award winners include Anna Hazare and Shivaraj Patil, a judge.
A team led by Akka Annapurna, seer of the Basava Seva Pratishtana, and trust member Basavaraj Dhannur selected the actor for the award, said a release.
