Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be conferred with the 2021 FIAF Award by The International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), the organisation of film archives and museums from across the world, at a virtual ceremony scheduled to take place on March 19. As per Variety, iconic filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan, who have been previous recipients, will give the award to Big B for his contribution to the preservation of and access to the world's film heritage for the benefit of present and future generations.
As per a report in The Times of India, Martin said, "Safeguarding cinema is a global cause. Amitabh Bachchan’s advocacy for preserving India’s film legacy has been exceptional. With a career spanning over five decades, he is a celebrated actor who has put the considerable weight of his reputation behind the cause of film preservation in India and the entire subcontinent. They could not have chosen a more deserving individual to recognise this year."Christopher said, "I know how imperative it is that representatives of the film industry around the world come together to ensure that we preserve our film heritage. I want to congratulate Amitabh Bachchan on receiving the 2021 honour. He has played an essential role in putting the cause of film preservation on the map in India and the subcontinent.”
Past winners of the award include Ingmar Bergman (2003), Mike Leigh (2005), Hou Hsiao-hsien (2006), Peter Bogdanovich (2007), Rithy Panh (2009), Agnes Varda (2013), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (2016), Christopher Nolan (2017), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (2018), Jean-Luc Godard (2019), and Walter Salles (2020). Amitabh was last seen in Shoojit Sircar's Gulabo Sitabo with Ayushmann Khurrana. He will next be seen in Rumy Jafry's Chehre with Emraan Hashmi. The actor also has Brahmastra with Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor and Mayday with Ajay Devgn.