Thespian Akkineni Nageswara Rao had his own chapter in the history of Telugu cinema, which had completed 75 years by now. He played different roles not only on the screen but off the screen as well.
He is not only an artiste of caliber, but also a humanitarian, a producer, a studio owner and was one among those who strived to bring the Telugu film industry from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh.
He portrayed several roles like Kalidasu, Jayadev, Tukaram and several other characters which proved him that he is a personification of national integration. He witnessed the various changes in the Telugu film industry and now keeping himself off from acting for some reasons and is making his presence felt with good characters whenever he gets a chance.
The latest film in which he played an important role of 'Kabir' is 'Sriramadasu'. He bagged several national and State awards in his fruitful career and now launched a foundation called Akkineni Foundation through which one successful film personality is being honoured with an award.
This year, successful actress of the Indian film industry, Shabana Azmi, was selected the Akkineni Foundation award. Now let us have a glance of her outstanding achievements which made her to bag this award.
With all the following rare and distinguished awards, Shabana Azmi is the 'best suited woman' for this award.
Shabana Azmi was born on September 18, 1951 and completed her degree in psychology. She had bagged Gold Medal for Best Student in Acting in Film & TV Institute India at Pune.
Satyajit Ray gave her a compliment that she is the finest dramatic actress of the country in his book 'Our Films Their Films'. She won National award for Best Actress for five times for Ankur (1974), Arth (1983), Khandar (1984), Paar (1985) and God Mother (1999).
It is worth mentioning here that she is the only actress in the country who won three of these five awards in a row. Besides she won Filmfare Award for Best actress for Swami (1979), Arth (1983) and Bhavna (1989), besides Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. She has also won every single award for acting in the country in many instance.
Her awards as actress in international circuit is as follows:
1. Toronto Reel World International Film Festival Award for Excellence (Morning Raga 2005)
2. International Indian Film Academy ' Lifetime Achievement (2005)
3. Chicago International Film Festival Best Actress (Fire 1996)
4. Los Angeles Outfest Best Actress (Fire 1996)
5. Taormina ' Arte Italy Best Actress (Patang 1994)
6. North Korea International Film Festival Best Actress (Libaas 1993)
Her other outstanding achievements are:
1. Gandhi International Peace Prize 2006 by Gandhi Foundation London ' Shabana Azmi is the first Indian to receive the prestigious award at the House of Commons in London.
2. Basavashree Award 2006 ' By Sri Sivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru, the present pontiff of Muruga Math of Chitradurga, Karnataka, The award is to honour the work of academicians, and scholars who are engaged in selfless service to humanity to create an egalitarian society.
3. Crystal Award by World Economic Forum ' Davos 2006, for achieving outstanding excellence in the field of culture, and having used art to reach out to other cultures.
4. One of 16 women to whom tributes were paid by President Mitterrand of France on the bicentenary celebrations of International Human Rights in July 1989.
5. Martin Luther King, Parks and Chavez Award by Michigan State University (2002)
6. Chose by Time magazine as 1 of 25 Asian heroes and the only woman amongst four Indians who has made a difference.
7. Only Asian actress to have a retrospective of her films at the New York Film Festival (2002).
8. Retrospective of her films at American Film Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, George Pompidou Centre Paris, Pacific Cinematheque etc.
9. Chairperson of the International Jury at Montreal, Cairo and Cinefan Film Festivals.
10. Padma Shri (1988)
11. Rajiv Gandhi Award for Excellence in Secularism
12. Nominated to Rajya Sabha by President of India 1997-2003.
13. United Nations Goodwill Ambassador on Population and Development UNFPA.
14. Former chairperson of Children's Film Society of India.
