New Delhi: Legendry Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar was honoured with Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, for his contributions towards Indian cinema.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh presented the medal to the thespian, who turned 93 two days ago, at his residence in Mumbai. His wife Saira Banu was also present at the occasion.
Dilip Kumar couldn't make it to the awards ceremony, which was held in April in the national capital, to receive the honour in person due to health issues. Apart from the civilian honour, government had also nominated Dilip Kumar to Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian parliament for a term.
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It is not the first time that his contribution has been acknowledged. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan award in 1991 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994.
Moreover, Dilip Kumar has also been honoured by the Government of Pakistan with its highest civilian honour Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1997.
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Dilip Kumar, whose real name is Yusuf Khan, became a name to reckon with in the 1950s and 1960s, thanks to his performances in Aan (1952), Daag (1952) and Devdas (1955). He bid adieu to the arclights in 1998 with Qila.
Kumar is widely considered as one of the greatest actors in the history of Hindi cinema. He holds the Guinness World Record for winning the maximum number of awards by an Indian actor.
