Priyadarshini Academy chairman Nanik Rupani said,
“Vidya Balan is an excellent actress. She is modern yet contemporary and has done decent and powerful roles. Her performance in ‘Paa’ was outstanding. Our jury has chosen her for the Smita Patil Award for her outstanding contribution to the film industry,”.
Priyadarshini Academy is an NGO which is engaged in socio-cultural and educational activities and has been holding the biennial award function since its inception in 1984.
In 2008, Preity Zinta was felicitated with the award. Other celebrities like Yash Chopra, Karisma Kapoor, Urmila Matondkar, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit and Kareena Kapoor have also been bestowed with this award.
