IFFI 2021: Hema Malini, Prasoon Joshi to be honoured with Indian Film Personality of the Year awards

Actress-turned-member of Parliament Hema Malini and lyricist and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi will be honoured with the Indian Film Personality of the Year awards at the upcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI) beginning on Saturday in Goa.

The announcement was made by Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Singh Thakur. He said, “Their contributions to the field of Indian cinema spreads over decades and their body of work has enthralled audiences across generations. They are Indian cinematic icons who are admired and respected the world over.”

Hema Malini, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, represents the constituency of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha or the House of the People in Parliament. She made her acting debut with the Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam (1963) and her Hindi debut with Sapno Ka Saudagar (1968). She was last seen in a movie in Ramesh Sippy’s Shimla Mirchi (2020) with Rajkummar Rao and Rakul Preet Singh.

Adman and lyricist Prasoon Joshi has been chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), commonly known as the censor board, since August 2017. He is also a grand jury member for the ‘75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ competition at this year’s edition.