India's nightingale Lata Mangeshkar honoured with the first Yash Chopra Memorial award

Legendary singer and Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar was honoured with the First Yash Chopra Memorial Award in a glittering ceremony held at a suburban five-star. The Award carrying a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh (one million) and a citation was presented by the Union Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Manish Tewari at a star studded function in Mumbai on Saturday evening. An ailing Lata Mangeshkar, disregarding her doctor’s advice, made it a point to attend the function in reverence for the legendary producer, director late Yash Chopra. “I have not come here to receive 10 lakh rupees or the award. Yashji was special and close to my heart,” she said in her acceptance speech. Lata Mangeshkar, whose phenomenal singing career started in 1942, has spanned over seven decades. The legend has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over 36 regional Indian and foreign languages. Lata Mangeshkar has also won several awards and honors, including Padma Bhushan (1969), Dada Saheb Phalke Award (1989), Maharashtra Bhushan Award (1997), Padma Vibhushan (1999), NTR National Award (1999), Bharat Ratna (India's Highest Civilian Award in the year 2001), and three National Film Awards. In 2008, she was given "One Time Award for Lifetime Achievement" to commemorate the 60th anniversary of India's independence 1996. While presenting the award, Manish Tewari said, “Lata Mangeshkar blessed with the beautiful voice is the pride of Indian music industry and a living legend. It gives me immense pleasure to confer the first Yash Chopra award on her.” Manish, in his speech, also described the Indian film industry, which is in its 101st year now, as the oldest cultural ambassador and said it presented India’s soft power across the world. He called upon the film fraternity to zealously guard the liberal space to protect artistic expression. Instituted by the TSR Foundation of Dr T Subbarami Reddy, the Yash Chopra Memorial award will be given every year to persons in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the field of art and culture. The Jury for the first Yash Chopra Award comprised Anil Kapoor, Hema Malini, Simi Garewal and Dr. Reddy. Several bigwigs graced the event. These included Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Praful Patel, Pamela Chopra, the widow of late Yash Chopra, Jeetendra, Akshay Kumar, Rani Mukherjee, Anushka Sharma, Subhash Ghai, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Alka Yagnik were among those who attended the function.