Amitabh Bachchan receives Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award on Wednesday.

The family and the trust instituted the award in the memory of Lata Mangeshkar after the melody queen, who was the eldest of the five Mangeshkar siblings, died in 2022 following multiple organ failure.

Bachchan, 81, received the recognition on April 24, the memorial day of Deenanath Mangeshkar, the theatre-music veteran and father of Mangeshkar siblings. Singer Usha Mangeshkar, the third eldest Mangeshkar sibling, presented the award to Bachchan. Earlier, veteran singer Asha Bhosle, the second Mangeshkar sibling, was supposed to give away the trophies but gave the event a miss as she is unwell.

The award, known as the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar, is given every year to an individual who has made a path-breaking contribution towards the nation, its people and society. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was its first recipient, followed by Asha Bhosle in 2023.

The function was presided over by music composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar, the youngest Mangeshkar sibling.