Ashok Saraf, veteran actor renowned for his flawless comic timing and with a career spanning nearly five decades, was honored with the Maharashtra Bhushan Award for 2023 on Thursday night. The state’s highest civilian honor. Saraf (75) has appeared in over 250 Marathi films and has also made notable contributions to Hindi cinema and television, including the popular comedy-drama series ‘Hum Paanch’.
The prestigious award, comprising a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, a medal and a citation, was presented to the celebrated actor at the 57th Maharashtra State Marathi Film Awards ceremony here Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Addressing the ceremony, Shinde praised Saraf, stating, “He is still young at 75 and yearns to do something new. He is the real diamond of Marathi soil.” The CM expressed the state government’s pride and honor in presenting the award to Saraf.
“The backlog (of state-level Marathi and Hindi film awards) for three years (pending due to coronavirus pandemic) was completed. We had to form government to present these awards,” Shinde said. The CM said his government was committed to provide modern facilities for film shootings in the state, whose capital Mumbai is the entertainment hub of the country. In his acceptance speech, Saraf expressed happiness over receiving Maharashtra’s top award.
“Maharashtra is my ‘janmabhoomi’ (birth place) and ‘karmabhoomi’ (workplace). I am grateful to all those who helped me in my 50-year-old career. Maharashtra’s audience is intelligent and critical. Artists have to strike a balance…have to keep in mind what the audience will like,” he stated.