Cinema VinesVeteran screenwriter Salim Khan was presented with the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award at the 62nd Maharashtra State Film Awards held in Mumbai on Wednesday. The ceremony, which took place at Ravindra Natya Mandir in Prabhadevi, saw the award conferred by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Since Salim Khan could not attend, the honor was received by his wife and celebrated actress Helen Ann Richardson Khan. Helen expressed deep gratitude, saying, “I am grateful for this award for Salim sahab. He says thank you very much to all you lovely people who have been trailing him and following him, and he thanks you. All his films are my favourite. His health is very good. He is a very strong man, and he sends his good wishes to all of you, to entire Maharashtra and India too.”
Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar highlighted the event’s broader context, noting that the awards also commemorated the 125th birth anniversary of V. Shantaram. He announced that the Chhatrapati V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award went to Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar and the Special Contribution Award to actor‑director Prasad Oak, while Rani Mukerji received the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award.
Rani Mukerji, who accepted the honor from the Chief Minister, reflected on the significance of receiving a title named after Raj Kapoor. She said, “I think that’s what makes this moment truly special for me since I’m receiving this recognition from my very own people and from the place I belong to. To receive an award named after the legend of Indian cinema Raj Kapoor ji is, in itself, hugely humbling. And I truly hope I can live up to this honour.” She dedicated the award to Maharashtra, its artists, technicians, filmmakers and the generations of storytellers who paved the way for her.
The ceremony underscored the state's commitment to celebrating cinematic excellence, with Salim Khan’s lifetime contribution to Indian film being formally recognized alongside the achievements of contemporary talents.
