Yash Chopra gets National Kishore Kumar award

Mumbai: Veteran Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra has been honoured with the National Kishore Kumar award by the Madhya Pradesh government for the year 2009-10.

State Cultural Minister Laxmikant Sharma conferred the award at a ceremony held at late actor-singer Kishore Kumar`s birthplace Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh Oct 13 (Wednesday) which also happened to be his 23rd death anniversary. The award carries a traditional shawl and a cash prize. Chopra, who has films like ‘Waqt’, ‘Deewar’, ‘Kabhi Kabhie’, ‘Silsila’, ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ and ‘Veer-Zaara’ to his credit, was overwhelmed at receiving this award and thanked the Madhya Pradesh government, said a press statement issued here. "By agreeing to accept this award, Yash Chopra has added to the reputation of Madhya Pradesh as a state. He is one such great director whose films have been socially relevant since more than 50 years," said Sharma. The Kishore Kumar award, given in fields of direction, acting, script writing and lyrics every year, was instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1997. Noted Bollywood personalities like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar, Shyam Benegal and Amitabh Bachchan had received it before. IANS