CM Fadnavis Congratulates Raj Kapoor, V. Shantaram Award Winners
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis congratulated four film personalities — Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Salim Khan, Rani Mukerji and Prasad Oak — named for the state's Chitrapati V. Shantaram and Late Raj Kapoor awards on 29 July 2026, honouring lifetime achievement and special contribution in Indian cinema.
Key Takeaways
Hridaynath Mangeshkar receives the Chitrapati V.
Shantaram Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar for lifetime achievement in music and composition.
Salim Khan is named for the Late Raj Kapoor Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar , recognising his landmark contribution to Hindi film screenwriting.
Rani Mukerji receives the Late Raj Kapoor Vishesh Yogdan Puraskar for special contribution to Indian cinema.
Prasad Oak receives the Chitrapati V.
Shantaram Vishesh Yogdan Puraskar for his work in Marathi film.
CM Devendra Fadnavis personally announced congratulations on 29 July 2026 , describing the awards as honouring talent, creativity and lifelong dedication.
The formal ceremony date and venue are yet to be confirmed.
Four luminaries of Indian cinema — spanning classical music, screenwriting, acting, and Marathi film — have been named recipients of Maharashtra's most prestigious cultural honours, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis personally congratulating each of them on Wednesday, 29 July 2026.
The announcements cover two distinct award families. Veteran composer and classical vocalist Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar receives the 'Chitrapati V. Shantaram Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar' — a lifetime achievement honour named after the pioneering filmmaker who built Rajkamal Kalamandir and redefined Indian cinema's visual grammar. Marathi actor, director and producer Prasad Oak receives the companion 'Chitrapati V. Shantaram Vishesh Yogdan Puraskar' for special contribution.
In the second family, celebrated screenwriter Salim Khan — one half of the legendary Salim-Javed duo whose scripts shaped the blockbuster era of Hindi cinema — is named for the 'Late Raj Kapoor Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar'. Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji, a multiple national and Filmfare award winner, receives the 'Late Raj Kapoor Vishesh Yogdan Puraskar'. Both awards carry the name of Raj Kapoor, the actor-director-producer celebrated as the Showman of Indian cinema.
CM Fadnavis described the honours as a recognition of 'उत्कृष्ट प्रतिभा, सर्जनशीलता आणि आजीवन समर्पण' — 'outstanding talent, creativity, and lifelong dedication' — in the film and cultural sphere.
Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar, younger brother of the late Lata Mangeshkar, has spent decades composing for Marathi and Hindi films and is regarded as one of classical music's most inventive crossover figures. His lifetime honour places him in a lineage of artists recognised by Maharashtra for sustaining the state's cultural identity across generations.
Salim Khan's selection under the Raj Kapoor banner carries its own symmetry: the screenwriter's partnership with Javed Akhtar produced some of the most commercially and culturally dominant films of the 1970s, an era Raj Kapoor himself helped define as a showman and storyteller.
Maharashtra has long used named state awards to bridge Marathi and Hindi cinema, recognising that Mumbai's position as the undisputed centre of Indian film production makes cultural stewardship a natural extension of state policy. These awards honour careers, not single works — a deliberate signal that longevity and sustained contribution matter as much as peak-moment success.
The formal award ceremony date and venue are yet to be announced.
Point of View
Personally amplifying the announcement on social media ties the BJP-led government's image to cultural prestige at a time when soft-power diplomacy with the film industry carries electoral dividends. The pairing of legacy names — V. Shantaram and Raj Kapoor — with living artists also subtly frames the current generation as worthy inheritors of a golden era, lending the honours narrative weight beyond routine state recognition.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Chitrapati V. Shantaram Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar in 2026?
Veteran composer and classical vocalist Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar was announced as the recipient of the Chitrapati V. Shantaram Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar in 2026.
What is the Raj Kapoor Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar?
The Late Raj Kapoor Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar is a Maharashtra state lifetime achievement award named after actor-director-producer Raj Kapoor, regarded as the Showman of Indian cinema. In 2026 it was awarded to screenwriter Salim Khan .
Why did Rani Mukerji receive a Maharashtra state award?
Rani Mukerji was named for the Late Raj Kapoor Vishesh Yogdan Puraskar in recognition of her special contribution to Indian cinema, as announced on 29 July 2026 .
What award did Prasad Oak receive from Maharashtra?
Marathi actor and filmmaker Prasad Oak received the Chitrapati V. Shantaram Vishesh Yogdan Puraskar for special contribution to the film industry.
When will the Maharashtra cinema award ceremony be held?
The formal ceremony date and venue for the 2026 Chitrapati V. Shantaram and Late Raj Kapoor awards have not yet been officially announced.
