London:
After clinching an Oscar for hissong Jai Ho, Gulzar has now been honoured with anExcellence in Cinema Award for his outstanding contributionsas a filmmaker, lyricist, script and story writer.
Receiving the award from India's High Commissioner toUK Nalin Surie, at a packed Nehru Centre in London, the 74-year-oldsaid "I really feel honoured."
Gulzar received an Academy award last year for bestOriginal song with music composer A R Rahman for the filmSlumdog Millionaire.
In his brief address, the High commissioner said, "Mygeneration grew up on your songs and films. The worlddiscovered India with your Jai Ho, but Indians discovered youlong ago. I am honouring a son of Punjab."
Gulzar was not only present to accept the award, butalso stayed to answer questions from the audience.
"You have to learn and respect the present generationand walk with them. Over a period, the (film) theme haschanged, vision has changed and the horizon has becomeglobal," said the veteran.
Replying to a question on his controversial filmAandhi, Gulzar said, "A certain section of societyoverreacted to Aandhi. Cinema is just a reflection of thesociety. All fine arts are records, not reformers. I can onlyreflect the society."
The previous recipients of the Excellence awardinclude filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan, M S Sathyu, SaeedAkhtar Mirza and Girish Kasaravalli.
Lalit Mohan Joshi, Director of South Asian CinemaFoundation, said, "Gulzar is honoured for his overall historiccontribution to popular Indian cinema."
A prolific filmmaker, Gulzar has directed a number offilms. They range from whacky entertainers like Angoor andNamkeen and clean fun-filled cinema like Parichay, topolitically provocative films that addressed real issues suchas the rise of Sikh extremism in Maachis and thecontroversial Aandhi that was loosely based on former PrimeMinister Indira Gandhi
Receiving the award from India's High Commissioner toUK Nalin Surie, at a packed Nehru Centre in London, the 74-year-oldsaid "I really feel honoured."
Gulzar received an Academy award last year for bestOriginal song with music composer A R Rahman for the filmSlumdog Millionaire.
In his brief address, the High commissioner said, "Mygeneration grew up on your songs and films. The worlddiscovered India with your Jai Ho, but Indians discovered youlong ago. I am honouring a son of Punjab."
Gulzar was not only present to accept the award, butalso stayed to answer questions from the audience.
"You have to learn and respect the present generationand walk with them. Over a period, the (film) theme haschanged, vision has changed and the horizon has becomeglobal," said the veteran.
Replying to a question on his controversial filmAandhi, Gulzar said, "A certain section of societyoverreacted to Aandhi. Cinema is just a reflection of thesociety. All fine arts are records, not reformers. I can onlyreflect the society."
The previous recipients of the Excellence awardinclude filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan, M S Sathyu, SaeedAkhtar Mirza and Girish Kasaravalli.
Lalit Mohan Joshi, Director of South Asian CinemaFoundation, said, "Gulzar is honoured for his overall historiccontribution to popular Indian cinema."
A prolific filmmaker, Gulzar has directed a number offilms. They range from whacky entertainers like Angoor andNamkeen and clean fun-filled cinema like Parichay, topolitically provocative films that addressed real issues suchas the rise of Sikh extremism in Maachis and thecontroversial Aandhi that was loosely based on former PrimeMinister Indira Gandhi
