Talent thanked

Thank you, Your Excellency, friends and countrymen

Once in a life-time comes a time in the life of a man when his heart, his soul and his mind join forces and protest. They say they want to say so much about a once upon a time event in their life. They want to thank all those who have made their life-time achievements an occasion, a page in history, the story of a life that will inspire many other lives in time to come. They decide to say so much more but circumstances, time and customs stop them. It hurts but what some living legends say cannot go unnoticed. That’s why my conscience calls upon me, forces me to record the speech of Dr BR Chopra, the speech he wanted to but couldn’t make on the night he won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Dr Chopra, received a standing ovation when the citation recording his amazing achievements during his fifty-five year long outstanding career was read out. This speech would have made one big difference. It will still make a big difference always. It is a speech made by a great legend simply and yet saying so much about Dr Baldev Raj Chopra, one of those few men who have made such a strong impact on Indian cinema, inspired all those who love and care for Indian cinema.

Dr Chopra’s speech:
“With my respect to His Excellency, The President of India, Shri KR Narayanan and my love and regards to the illustrious gathering.
Overwhelmed with emotion I will not be able to make a speech. All that I will do is just express my gratitude. Gratitude to everyone.
To the Lord above in the first place, who blessed me with luck to deserve this prestigious award.

To my government and my revered president His Excellency Shri KR Narayanan saheb for finding me suitably eligible for this honour. Dada Saheb Phalke award is a priceless treasure for artistic excellence and is the ideal climax in the career of a filmmaker. I feel pardonably proud to be blessed with this honour. My grateful thanks.

To the film industry which gave me a place to work and which always stood by me and gave me its love and encouragement.

To my friends, colleagues and co-workers, writers, technicians, artistes and music directors and other supporting hands who together contributed a lot to the quality of my movies and consequently to the pride and pleasure of this award.

To the millions of filmgoers who lavished their love and patronage on my films which they thought were purposeful and socially significant. It is, in fact, their loving silent yet eloquent recommendation to the government and its jury which has really brought this unique distinction. But for all these beautiful people I wouldn’t be standing here today.

In my field the final film released is the collective effort of a team of talented people who excel in different arts of the medium. What comes out finally is the unique fusion of every contribution. In honouring me you are honouring all my fellow workers who have silently but actively struggled to place me where I find myself today. And this honour is therefore as much theirs, as mine because if it was not for their affection and contribution I would not have achieved this distinction.

Each time I will see this award I will see each one of you in it because believe me I am one of you.

Dada Saheb Phalke laid the foundation of the film industry.
Let me hope, the Phalke award lays the foundation of a happy, healthy and prosperous new millennium.

Last but not the least my gratitude to my loving family who prayed for my success and invested all their love and prayerful good wishes in support of a person who lived only by the Geeta’s teachings — with a permanent slogan:
Karmany evadhikaras te
Ma phalesu kadacana
Ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
Ma te sango’stv akarmani
My love to all of you for the millennium and thanks for the precious award of your precious love.”
P.S.: My admiration for Dr Chopra and his contribution to Indian cinema has inspired me to report his speech for posterity.

APJ