Veteran Bollywood actress Deepti Naval was honoured with the Excellence in Cinema Award at the opening ceremony of the 21st Mumbai Film Festival on Thursday night.
She was presented the award by director Vishal Bharadwaj and actor Deepika Padukone.
"I am quite nervous, I am overwhelmed with this award. I am grateful to Mumbai festival for giving me this honour," Naval, who got a standing ovation from the audience, said after receiving the award.
Naval made her acting debut with "Junoon" in 1978. In her career spanning more than four decades, she has acted in over 60 films. Some of her memorable films include “Andhi Gali,” "Kamla", "Chashme Baddoor", "Mirch Masala", "Rang Birangi", "Firaaq", "Leela" and "Memories in March". She was last seen in Zoya Akhtar's web-series "Made In Heaven". The eight-day Mumbai Film festival will showcase over 190 films, including over 50 debuts, 13 world premieres, from 53 countries and 49 diverse languages.
Filmmaker Geetu Mohandas' much-awaited and acclaimed Malayalam drama "Moothon" (The Elder One) was the opening film of the festival and "Saand Ki Aankh" starring Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar will be the last film to be screened.
The festival will screen some international films like James Gray's space drama "Ad Astra", starring Brad Pitt in a critically lauded performance, Alma Har'el's "Honey Boy", "The Souvenir" by British filmmaker Joanna Hogg, British filmmaker Ken Loach's "Sorry We Missed You", "The Irishman", "Marriage Story", "The Two Popes", "Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator" and others.