Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan said Sunday he is giving the National Films Awards ceremony a miss as he is ‘down with fever’.
The 77-year-old actor, who was set to be honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2018 at the ceremony to be held Monday in New Delhi, shared the news on Twitter.
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Down with fever .. ! Not allowed to travel .. will not be able to attend National Award tomorrow in Delhi .. so unfortunate .. my regrets ..— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) December 22, 2019
“Down with fever…! Not allowed to travel… will not be able to attend National Award tomorrow in Delhi… so unfortunate… my regrets ..,” Bachchan wrote on his Twitter handle.
The award, named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke who is revered as the father of Indian cinema, was instituted in 1969, the year ‘Big B’ made his debut in Hindi film industry with Saat Hindustani.
Considered the highest honour for an artiste in Indian cinema, the award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 10,00,000. It was conferred upon late actor Vinod Khanna in 2017.
Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will present the National Film Awards to the winners Monday. Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar will also be attending the ceremony.
Traditionally, the National Awards are handed out to the winners by the president of India. According to sources, President Ram Nath Kovind will host high tea for the winners later.
PTI