Mumbai: Veteran Marathi actor Ashok Saraf has been honoured with the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award. Today, the award will be conferred on him in the presence of veterans. Through his wide range of performances, Saraf created his place in the hearts of Marathi audiences and made very sincere efforts to take Marathi cinema and theatre to the next level. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took to his official Twitter handle to congratulate Ashok Saraf and announced the Maharashtra Bhushan award to him. The award was given to him for his contribution to the field of art. After the chief minister's tweet, actors and fans of the entertainment industry are showering congratulations on Ashok Saraf. He is being honoured with the Maharashtra Bhushan Award the highest civilian honour given by the state government. Saraf will be felicitated by the Chief Minister at the 57th State Film Awards ceremony to be held at 6.00 pm at Worli Dome, NSCI.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be the chief guests at the felicitation ceremony. Veteran actors from the film industry will also be present.
Be it a comic role in a film like Ashi Hi Banva Banavi, or the antagonistic he played in Daga, Pandhari Ki Wari, Ashok Saraf has left a testimony to Maharashtra for his strong acting. At the same time, his small but memorable role in blockbuster films like Karan-Arjun, and Singham in Hindi cinema is still etched in the minds of the audience and fans. Meanwhile, Ashok Saraf acted in 50 Hindi and one Bhojpuri film.
What did Saraf Say
"I didn't think I would get the Maharashtra Bhushan Award so soon. Or, I didn't feel like my work was that good. I have been taken to the ranks of Maharashtra Bhushan veterans, so I am speechless. Because the people who got the award previously are great people. So I'm starting to realize I've done something. I will never forget that you have helped me in this realisation," Saraf had said. "I'm so overwhelmed," he adds. "With all this, I am now built with the realization that I want to do something better and different. I'm doing selected work. But, of course, I will continue to work. You (the audience) are mine and I am yours. I can't live without you. So I have to work," he said.