Dev Anand awarded lifetime achievement award

BANGALORE: Bollywood's evergreen star Dev Anand has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award here for his contributions to the Indian cinema.

Justice VS Malimath, former chief justice of Karnataka and Kerala High Courts, conferred the film icon with 'Anmol Ratan, Lifetime Achievement Award' at a function organised on Saturday night by the Vintage Film-Music Lovers' Association.

"It is marvellous, it is prestigious. Thank you for your love and generosity which has made me fly all the way from Mumbai to be with you," the actor-director-producer, famous for his unique acting style, said after receiving the award.

"My heart goes out to you. I am totally overwhelmed. May be I'll come back here to make a film," said the heartthrob of the 50s and 60s, wiping away tears from his eyes.

Going down the memory lane, the 85-year-old movie veteran nostalgically recalled his trip to Mysore to 'convince" writer RK Narayan on making a film version of his novel 'Guide'. That trip is still 'green in my memory', he said.

He exhorted Bangaloreans to keep their ambitions alive and march forward in the global arena.

"Bangalore is referred to as the Silicon City of India, a leap forward in technology. Keep the ambition alive, keep ahead of every other state. Keep going forward," said the Dada Saheb Phalke awardee in his sing-song voice.