MUMBAI: In the second week of September, the leaders of the Asian American communities under the umbrella of U.S. Asia Business Forum (USABF) gathered at the Convention Centre in Los Angeles. Hundreds of entrepreneurs and delegates from 45 countries attended the forum, which primarily focused on 20 high-growth categories including entertainment and media.

On the last day of the conference, Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa, the chief guest along with several Indian cabinet ministers were present during an elegant award ceremony. The Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award was honored to Krishna Shah for being the first Indian to have made his mark in Hollywood, and also his body of work as a writer & director on Broadway, Hollywood and Indian Film Industry.

Shah said, "Raj Kapoor has been one of my mentors during my college days in the USA. He inspired me to come back to India to make movies. That became Shalimar.” Shah has been fascinated by the transformation of the Indian film industry, particularly the rise of young filmmakers with their innovative cinema, which would have made Raj Kapoor very proud from wherever he is. I accept this award in the name of The New Indian Cinema, a future that is already happening," Shah added.