Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan was honoured with the prestigious Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award at the 62nd Maharashtra State Film Awards ceremony in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Salim Khan’s wife and veteran actor Helen received the award on his behalf and expressed her gratitude for the recognition and the audience’s affection for his work.

Speaking to the media at the event, Helen said Salim Khan was thankful for the honour and sent his good wishes to people across Maharashtra and India.

“He says thank you very much to all you lovely people who have been following him, and he thanks you. All his films are my favourite. His health is very good. He is a very strong man, and he sends his good wishes to all of you, to entire Maharashtra and India too,” she said.

Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar shared details of the awards presented during the ceremony, held at Ravindra Natya Mandir.

The awards marked the 125th birth anniversary of V. Shantaram, with the Chhatrapati V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award going to Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar and the Special Contribution Award to actor-director Prasad Oak.

Salim Khan received the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award, while actor Rani Mukerji was honoured with the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented the award to Rani Mukerji at the ceremony.

Speaking about the honour, Rani said receiving an award named after Raj Kapoor was deeply humbling, particularly as the recognition came from Maharashtra, the place she calls home.

She dedicated the award to Maharashtra and everyone who contributes to its film industry — including its artists, technicians, filmmakers and generations of storytellers who helped create an environment where aspiring actors could dream of making it in cinema.