The actress has played countless memorable characters on the celluloid and is known to be the pillar of Indian cinema with a career spanning almost seven decades.

Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, made the announcement on Tuesday as he took to his X (formerly called Twitter).

He shared a long note announcing the honour for the veteran actress as he listed her achievements.

He wrote, “I feel an immense sense of happiness and honour in announcing that Waheeda Rehman ji is being bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award this year for her stellar contribution to Indian Cinema. Waheeda ji has been critically acclaimed for her roles in Hindi films, prominent among them, ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Kaagaz ke Phool’, ‘Chaudhavi Ka Chand’, ‘Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam’, ‘Guide’, ‘Khamoshi’ and several others. In her career spanning over 5 decades, she has essayed her roles with extreme finesse, leading to a National Film Award for her role as a clanswoman in the film ‘Reshma and Shera’”.

He further mentioned, “A Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee, Waheeda ji has exemplified dedication, commitment and the strength of a Bharatiya Nari who can achieve the highest level of professional excellence with her hardwork. At a time when the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam has been passed by Parliament, her being awarded with this lifetime achievement award is a fitting tribute to one of the leading ladies of Indian Cinema and one who has dedicated her life after films to philanthropy and the greater good of society. I congratulate her and humbly pay my regards to her rich body of work that is an intrinsic part of our film history”.