Sulochana chosen for Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Suchitra Sen’s refusal to come to Delhi could have swung the verdict.

It has still not been officially announced, but After Hours has learnt that this year’s Dadasaheb Phalke Award will be conferred on yesteryear actor Sulochana.

The 78-year-old Marathi thespian was a strong contender for the award, though Bengali legend Suchitra Sen was seen to be the favourite.

The jury — comprising Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Yash Chopra, Mrinal Sen and Nageshwara Rao — will be conveying their decision to I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi. At one point there was even speculation that Dasmunshi himself was keen that the honour go to Suchitra. What probably swung the verdict against the reclusive actor was her refusal to come to Delhi to accept the award from the President.

After Hours had earlier reported that several prominent Maharashtrians — including Lata Mangeshkar, Balasaheb Thackeray and Sharad Pawar — had reportedly been supporting Sulochana’s candidature in letters to Dasmunshi.

Sulochana herself had expressed her gratitude for the tremendous show of support: “There are lots of people who love and respect me in Maharashtra... it would be an honour to receive such a prestigious award.”