MUMBAI: Eminent singer Shri Manna Dey has been selected for the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2007. The award is given by the Government of India for outstanding contribution in the field of cinema. The award carries a Cash Prize of Rs. 10 lakh, a Swaran Kamal and a Shawl.
Dey has dominated the Indian film playback music from the 1950s. He has recorded more than 3500 songs during his six decade long career. He has also won numerous awards and accolades in his singing and music career. Among others, he has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Hindi film Mere Huzur and the Bengali film Nishi Padma. He has also been honoured with the Padmashree and Padma Bhushan.
He started his career in playback singing with the movie Tamanna in 1943. Some of his famous songs include Laga Chuneri mein daag, Pyaar hua iqraar hua, Ye raat bheegi bheegi, Kasme wade pyaar wafa , etc. Some of the most well known films for which he has lent his voice are: Awaara, Do Bigha Zamin, Mera Naam Joker, Bobby, Zanjeer, Padosan and Sholay. Dey (real name Prabodh Chandra Dey) was born to Purna Chandra (father) and Mahamaya Devi (mother) on 1st May 1919.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is an annual award given by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. It was instituted in 1969 , the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke. The award for a particular year is given along with the National Film Awards. Dey is the 55th awardee of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award. The Hon’ble President would be conferring the award on 21 October 2009. The Committee consisting of eminent personalities Dr. A.Nageshwara Rao, Yash Chopra, Vijaya Mulay and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan made the recommendations to the Government.
