Who is the real recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award - Shah Rukh Khan or Shashi Kapoor?

Recently the media was filled with news of Shah Rukh Khan winning the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award regarded as the one of the highest awards in Indian cinemas. While a few weeks ago there were reports of yesteryear actor Shashi Kapoor being bestowed with country’s highest film award the Dadasaheb Phalke award! 

Thus there is confusion among readers as who is the real recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke award? 

Well, to be frank both Shah Rukh Khan and Shashi Kapoor are the real recipients of Dadasaheb Phalke Award but do not get perplexed because Shah Rukh Khan is the winner of the award initiated by Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation, a recently formed private institution.

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On the contrary Shashi Kapoor is the recipient of the award initiated by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Government of India. The recipient is honoured for their ‘outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema’ and is selected by a committee consisting of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry. 

This Dadasaheb Phalke Award, is truly India's highest award in cinema and is presented annually at the National Film Awards. The award was introduced in 1969, by the Government of India to commemorate eminent filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke's contribution to Indian cinema, who directed India's first full-length feature film, RAJA HARISHCHANDRA (1913). 

Owner of Bombay Talkies and India’s first lady superstar Devika Rani was the first recipient of this award. Other great who have won this award include Dilip Kumar, Satyajit Ray, V. Shantaram, Lata Mangeshkar, Sivaji Ganesan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, K. Balachander, Gulzar etc.

As of 2014, there have been 46 film celebrities have been awarded this great honor. 

Shashi Kapoor is the recipient of 2014 and will be honoured at the 62nd National Film Awards ceremony next month in May.

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