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Vinod Khanna’s family emotional over posthumous Dadasaheb Phalke Award
New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) Vinod Khanna’s family members, who were here to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, conferred posthumously, at the 65th National Film Awards on Thursday, said it was a proud and emotional moment.
Vinod Khanna’s wife Kavita was accompanied by son and actor Akshaye at the Vigyan Bhawan here to receive the honour.
Ahead of the ceremony, Akshaye said: “It is very humbling as a son to be receiving this on his behalf. It’s a very proud and emotional moment for all of us.”
Kavita said: “It’s such a happy occasion and time of great pride for us, for the family, for all his fans and for everyone who loves him. There’s also a sense of his not being here to receive it.
“But I am so happy Akshay is going to receive it on his behalf… There can be no one better than Akshay to receive this on his behalf.”
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was this year among the select 11 categories of honours distributed by President Ram Nath Kovind. The rest were given out by Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
Vinod Khanna died last year following prolonged illness. He was 70.
Honouring him with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was a collective decision of the 65th National Film Awards jury, chaired by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
The actor had starred in some of the biggest Bollywood hits like “Mere Apne”, “Insaaf”, “Parvarish Muqaddar Ka Sikandar”, “Qurbani”, “Dayavaan”, “Mera Gaon Mera Desh”, “Chandni”, “The Burning Train” and “Amar, Akbar, Anthony”.
He also pursued a political career as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of the Lok Sabha from Punjab’s Gurdaspur constituency and had also been a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.