On February 20, 2024, a glitzy awards night took place in Mumbai called the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2024. Shah Rukh Khan, Nayantara, Bobby Deol, and Vicky Kaushal received acting awards, while Sandeep Reddy Vanga was honoured with the Best Director award for Animal. Some of the celebrities who received awards or attended the event referred to it as 'prestigious', and certain portals echoed this sentiment. However, it is peculiar for an 'award show' that commenced only in 2020 to get this 'prestigious' tag suddenly. Could there be confusion with another prestigious award also bearing 'Dadasaheb Phalke' in its name? Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2024 Winners: Shah Rukh Khan for Jawan, Bobby Deol and Sandeep Reddy Vanga for Animal – Check Full List!

For those unfamiliar, the late Dadasaheb Phalke, often referred to as the Father of Indian Cinema, pioneered film-making in India, directing the first Indian film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1913. Consequently, the Government of India named the most prestigious award in the field of cinema after him, leading us to...

Dadasaheb Phalke Awards

The Dadasaheb Phalke Awards are considered the highest honour the Indian government can bestow upon individuals working in the cinema industry. Presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, recipients are chosen by a jury comprising esteemed film personalities. The awardee receives a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. The first recipient of the award, initiated in 1969, was the late actress Devika Rani. Other notable recipients include Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Shashi Kapoor, Yash Chopra, K Vishwanath, Vinod Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, among others. The most recent recipient, as of this article, is Waheeda Rehman, who was honoured at the 69th National Film Awards. 69th National Film Awards: Waheeda Rehman Gets Emotional As She Accepts Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award From President Droupadi Murmu.

Now, turning our attention to...

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Awards

According to their website, dpiff.in, although founded in 2012, the festival was 'established in 2016 to carry forward the legacy of Late Shri Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, lovingly known as Dadasaheb Phalke – The Father of Indian Cinema. It is India’s only independent international film festival, with a mission to celebrate the work of aspiring, young, independent & professional filmmakers.'

Anil Mishra, the festival's founder, is also mentioned on his LinkedIn profile as a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Anil Mishra's LinkedIN Profile

While some articles refer to Mishra as an 'honorary' CBFC member, the official board list doesn't include his name.

CBFC Board Members

The website also lists Chandrasekhar Pusalkar, the grandson of the late Dadasaheb Phalke, as the jury president.

Shah Rukh Khan Winning Best Actor At DPIFF 2024:

The DPIFF website only displays winners from 2020. If you recall 'many' celebrities receiving numerous Dadasaheb Phalke awards before this period, it's because this isn't the only award show bearing the name of the Father of Indian Cinema, apart from the government-conferred one.

The Other Doppelgangers

There were also the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards, the Dada Saheb Phalke Excellence Awards, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards. In 2018, Pusalkar himself addressed these awards named after his grandfather in an interview with IANS. At that time, he only considered the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards as legitimate because it 'had been paying tribute to his grandfather for the past 18 years'.

Pusalkar explained that after 2015, differences led to the creation of the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards and the Dada Saheb Phalke Excellence Awards as separate entities. He urged them to unite under one umbrella to avoid divisions. Now, with his involvement in the 'Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards,' we wonder if he just paved his way into a new umbrella.

Interestingly, among the doppelganger awards bearing Dadasaheb Phalke's name, the 'Dada Saheb Phalke Excellence Awards' has ceased giving awards since 2022, lacks an official website, and its X account is suspended for 'violating' its rules.

Suspended X Account of Dada Saheb Phalke Excellence Awards

The 'Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards' haven't presented any Bollywood awards since 2017. The 'Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards' persisted until 2023, holding an award function, but their website isn't operational as of this article's writing.

While more awards may emerge in Dadasaheb Phalke's name, it's crucial to note that only one award bearing his name has the backing and recognition of the Government of India.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2024 04:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).