Superstar Rajinikanth has been given the 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The announcement came today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that Rajini is popular across generations, and that his body of work is something only few can boast of. The PM lauded him for playing diverse roles and having an endearing personality. "It is a matter of immense joy that Thalaiva has been conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Congratulations to him," he added.
A number of film personalities are happy with the decision taken by the Centre. Chiranjeevi wrote, "Elated at the announcement of the prestigious #DadaSahebPhalke Award to my dear friend @rajinikanth. Truly deserving. Your contributions to the film industry are immense my friend! Hearty congratulations! May the force be with you!!"
Superstar Mahesh Babu said that the contributions of Rajini to Indian cinema are truly unparalleled.
A jury comprising of singer Asha Bhosle, Bollywood director Subhash Ghai, Mollywood superstar Mohanlal, singer Shankar Mahadevan and Biswajeet Chatterjee had chosen Rajini for the coveted award.
