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The 71st National Film Awards, announced on August 1, saw Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji win their maiden National Awards. For fans, it's a moment to rejoice as achievements have come after more than three decades in the industry.
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But, this has also left many shocked as several other legends like Kishore Kumar, Madhubala, Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra, to name a few, never received the honour.
How Kishore Kumar Missed the National Award?
Notably, legendary singer-actor Kishore Kumar was on the verge of winning a National Award for his 1964 film 'Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein'. In the film, Kishore starred alongside his young son in a rare serious role, and the movie became a box office hit.
However, when it was being considered for the National Award, alongside Haqeeqat and Dosti, a disturbing phone call from someone in the Ministry changed everything.
During an old interview, Kishore Da's son, Amit Kumar, recalled that the legendary singer-actor got a call from someone in the Ministry, and he was asked to bribe.
Amit said, “He got a call from Delhi from someone in the Ministry. At that time, Haqeeqat, Dosti, and Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein were being considered (for the National Award). They told my father, ‘If you do something, give something, then we can get you nominated.’ My father was like, ‘Why are you after my life? My film is a hit.’"
Despite its success, running for 23 weeks at Mumbai’s Super Cinema and achieving silver jubilee status in Delhi-UP, the film’s path to the award was blocked.
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Later, Kishore Da sold the rights to a Tamil filmmaker, whose remake 'Ramu' went on to win the National Award.
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'Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein', inspired by the American film 'The Proud Rebel', was later remade in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, further proving its popularity.
