Bengali film superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee on Sunday said he would dedicate the honour of the Padma Shri award to his late mother, who was immensely responsible for his achievements over a four-decade-long career.
Speaking to PTI, Chatterjee said he was watching his recently released Bengali film at Navina Cinema when he received the news. He shared it with the audience, who cheered at the announcement.
"I will first dedicate the honour to my mother, who sacrificed so much in her life to bring us up and paved my journey, which has spanned four decades. I also share this honour with my family, including my son Mishuk. But what I have become has been made possible by my countless audiences," he said.
Responding to a question, Chatterjee said that upon receiving the news, he spoke to his father, legendary actor Biswajit Chatterjee, over the phone. "He told me, 'So you have got it. I am so proud of you,'" Chatterjee recalled.
He also said he missed his long-time friend, late director Rituparno Ghosh, "who was instrumental in the birth of Prosenjit Chatterjee in critically acclaimed, realistic arthouse cinema".
"On this day, I miss Rituparno a lot. He played an important role in shaping a part of my acting career," he added.
Asked whether he felt the honour was long overdue, Chatterjee said, "I don't look at it that way. See, Soumitra Chatterjee received honours at different stages of his career. There is no point in mulling over the timing; what matters is that the government has conferred this honour on me. I am thankful to the Union Ministry."
Meanwhile, Pt Kumar Bose, another Padma Shri recipient, dedicated the honour to his wife and other members of his family.
"By honouring me, the government has honoured other great classical vocalists and instrumentalists of West Bengal," said the renowned tabla artiste.
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