Osian’s Cinefan to confer lifetime achievement award to Gulzar

MUMBAI: The Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival will present the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinematic Contribution to lyricist-writer-director and poet, Gulzar. The presentation will take place on 24 October at Siri Fort in New Delhi in the presence of Chief Minister of the Government of NCT of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit.

The Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinematic Contribution is the most prestigious Award presented by Osian’s Cinefan and the tribute focuses on Gulzar’s creativity and contribution to entertainment that goes beyond cultural, linguistic and other boundaries. Film director Mrinal Sen was the winner of the Award last year.

Gulzar’s work has served as an inspiration for generations of audiences right down to the contemporary times. His films, dialogues and songs have swung from the romantic lyricism of a mora gora ang layi le in Bandini to that of the 1970s with Aandhi, Parichay and Kinara, to the youthful moods of a Bunty Aur Babli (2005), Omkara (2006) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008).

Gulzar’s contribution to the history of Indian cinema has also been to infuse a sense of poetry and wistful contemplation about the complexities of human life – as a writer of films, as a director and as a writer of songs.

Gulzar will hold his Life Time Achievement Awardees’ Masterclass as part of OLE (Osian’s Learning Experience) on the History of the Hindi Film Lyrics at 11am Sunday, 25 October at Siri Fort.

Also, as part of the exciting NewStream panel discussions being held during the festival, he will be in dialogue with Vishal Bhardwaj and the crew of Kaminey at 3:30pm Sunday, 25 October at Siri Fort.

Osian’s Cinefan will be held at the Siri Fort Complex in New Delhi from 24 – 30 October this year.