LUCKNOW: Former CSIR-CDRI scientist and a well-known actor Anil Rastogi has been selected for Sangeet Natak Akademi award for acting. The awards were announced on Tuesday.
Expressing his happiness Rastogi, 89, told HT HT , “I want to thank my CDRI colleagues who supported me in choosing my passion, as well as the people and media who watched me and loved my work.”
“Rastogi is the only actor to have been selected for this award from UP in the acting category. Earlier, people have received the awards for direction and playwriting etc,” said R S Soni, secretary, Darpan theatre group of which Rastogi is a part.
“My name was suggested by Amitabh Srivastava who was given the award last year. Then it was suggested by Mukesh Meshram, principal secretary, department of culture ,” said Rastogi who was recently seen on OTT platforms like Ashram and Taali.
Rastogi has received UP Sangeet Natak Academy award in 1984, UP Sangeet Natak Academy fellowship in 2007 and U. P. government’s highest award Yash Bharti in 2016, among others.
The general council of Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, New Delhi, at its meeting held on February 21 and 22, selected 92 artistes from the field of music, dance, theatre, traditional/folk/tribal music/dance/ theatre, puppetry and overall contribution/scholarship in the performing arts for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for 2022 and 2023.