Hollywood luminary Michael Douglas is set to be the proud recipient of the esteemed Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the forthcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The announcement was made by Union Minister Anurag Thakur, generating excitement and anticipation among film enthusiasts.
In an official statement shared via a popular microblogging platform, Minister Thakur revealed that the renowned actor, along with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and their son Dylan, will grace the 54th edition of the festival. The highly anticipated event is scheduled to take place from November 20 to 28.
“I am absolutely delighted to announce that Michael Douglas, the distinguished Hollywood Actor and Producer, will be honoured with the prestigious Satyajit Ray Excellence in Film Lifetime Award at the 54th International Film Festival in Goa,” Minister Thakur declared.
He further highlighted Michael Douglas’s deep affection for India and expressed a warm welcome to the celebrated family, emphasizing the significance of their presence in promoting the rich cinematic culture and unique traditions at #IFFI54.
In a heartfelt video message shared by NFDC India on the same microblogging site, Michael Douglas personally conveyed his excitement about the upcoming journey to India. He expressed his honour and enthusiasm for receiving the Satyajit Ray Excellence in Film Lifetime Award at the International Indian Film Festival in Goa. The actor also mentioned the plan to acknowledge their dear friend, Shailendra Singh, in celebration of his 25th year in the film industry.
During his illustrious five-decade-long career, the 79-year-old Douglas has graced the silver screen with a series of critically acclaimed and blockbuster films, including ‘Wall Street,’ ‘Fatal Attraction,’ ‘The War of the Roses,’ ‘Basic Instinct,’ ‘Falling Down,’ ‘The American President,’ ‘Traffic,’ and ‘Behind the Candelabra.’ Notably, he secured an Oscar for his role in the 1975 production ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and claimed the Best Actor trophy for ‘Wall Street.’
In addition to receiving the prestigious award, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are set to participate in a special ‘In Conversation’ session hosted by Shailendra Singh.
The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award, a venerable accolade introduced at IFFI in 1999, is bestowed upon individuals whose outstanding contributions have significantly enriched and elevated the world of cinema. Past recipients include luminaries like Bernardo Bertolucci, Carlos Saura, Martin Scorsese, Dilip Kumar, Krzysztof Zanussi, and Wong Kar-wai.
Notably, this recognition for Michael Douglas was foreshadowed during his visit to the India Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year, where he was not only honoured but also extended a warm invitation to the forthcoming IFFI event.
