Actress Sandhya to be honoured at V Shantaram awards

The V Shantaram annual film awards will be given away here on Monday where Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and the Malayalam actor Mohanlal are vying for the best actor award.

Legendary actress Sandhya, who was the heroine of V Shantaram's classics including Navrang, Do Ankhen Barah Hath and Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje, will be honoured at the function, Kiran Shantaram said.

The felicitation will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of V Shantaram’s classic Navrang. Asha Bhosle, who lent her voice for the film, will also be felicitated at the function, he said.

Incidentally, Kiran Shantaram, now heading V Shantaram Foundation, made his debut as assistant director with Navrang.

Shah Rukh Khan (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), Saif Ali Khan (Love Aaj Kal), John Abraham (New York), Mohanlal (Bhramaram, Malyalam), Prakash Raj (Kanchivaram, Tamil) and Upendra Limaye (Jogva, Marathi) have been nominated for best actor  category.

The awards will be presented at a function here on Monday, he said.

Nominations for best actress include Rani Mukerji (Dil Bole Hadippa), Priyanka Chopra (Fashion), Pallavi Joshi (Rita, Marathi), Tamanna (Konchem Istam Konchem Kashtam, Tamil), Mamtha Mohandas (Passenger, Malayalam) and Shreya Reddy (Kanchivaram, Tamil), Shantaram said. 

Best film nominations include Bhramaram (Malayalam), Gabharicha Paus (Marathi), Harischandrachi Factory (Marathi), Kanchivaram (Tamil), Love Aaj Kal (Hindi) and New York (Hindi).

When V Shantaram was making the film Do Ankhen Barah Hath, he met with an accident and became blind for some time. During his blindness he started seeing colours and that’s the genesis of Navrang.

This year’s awards function proceeds will be given to 'Right To Vision', a division Wockhardt Foundation, who conduct free eye camps in 28 cities all over India, Shantaram said.