Kolkata: Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced a national level film award after legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

Javadekar made this announcement February 22 at a program organized by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in Kolkata, according to an actor who was present at the event.

At the program in which the media was not allowed, the federal minister interacted with leading actors and directors of West Bengal where the Assembly election is due in April-May.

No detail is available on the ”Satyajit Ray Award.”

Senior actor and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Roopa Ganguly, who was present at the function, said that it is great that an award is being instituted after Ray.

“It has been under planning stage for quite some time,” she told a news channel. Director Arindam Sil said that discussions were held with the minister on how to develop the Bengali film industry.

Actors Paoli Dam, Abir Chattopadhyay, Ritupana Sengupta, director Gautam Ghosh, classical singer Rashid Khan, singer-turned-federal minister Babul Supriyo and others were present at the program.

Source: Press Trust of India