MUMBAI: Veteran actor Shashikala, who made her debut in 1932 with Maya Bazar, followed by Jugnu and Doli in 1947 has been honoured with the Padmashree Award by the government of India this year.

While Shashikala was unavailable for comment, her contemporary, Chandra Shekhar says, “She should have received the award earlier. Though much delayed, she fully deserves it. She is an old colleague and a family friend. Together, we attained stardom in the early fifties with Dr V. Shantaram’s Surang. She has been a versatile performer and worked with veteran filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Mohan Sehgal, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, B R Chopra and others.”

Shashikala last featured in Pardesi Babu in 1998 and Agni Putra in 2000.