Benegal, Madhuri bag Raj Kapoor awards

Mumbai, April 21 (IANS) Bollywood veterans, director Shyam Benegal and actress Madhuri Dixit will receive this year's Raj Kapoor awards constituted by the Maharashtra government, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan announced here.

While Benegal shall be conferred the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award-2012, Dixit will be honoured with the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award-2012, Chavan informed the state legislature Friday.

In the Marathi film industry category, the prestigious V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award for this year will be given to veteran actress Leela Gandhi. The V. Shantaram Special Contribution Award will be conferred on stage and film actor Dilip Prabhavalkar, famous as Mahatma Gandhi in "Lage Raho Munnabhai".

Constituted by the Maharashtra government, each award carries a cash prize of Rs.200,000, a citation and a memento and shall be conferred at a public function.