He wrote, “I feel an immense sense of happiness and honour in announcing that Waheeda Rehman ji is being bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award this year for her stellar contribution to Indian Cinema. Waheeda ji has been critically acclaimed for her roles in Hindi films, prominent among them, ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Kaagaz ke Phool’, ‘Chaudhavi Ka Chand’, ‘Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam’, ‘Guide’, ‘Khamoshi’ and several others. In her career spanning over 5 decades, she has essayed her roles with extreme finesse, leading to a National Film Award for her role as a clanswoman in the film ‘Reshma and Shera’”.