Shashi Kapoor in a film still.
Actor Shashi Kapoor, who just celebrated his 77th birthday, will receive this year's Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest honour in cinema.
Mr Kapoor's son Kunal told NDTV that his father's first reaction was, "Me? I got it? And then he chuckled."
"I think he must be quite chuffed because his father won it as well. It's sad that on a day like this we have an award on one hand and an income tax issue with the theatre on the other," said Kunal Kapoor who was speaking to NDTV outside the Kapoor-run Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai.
Shashi Kapoor's nephew, actor Rishi Kapoor, told NDTV, "I don't think it's a delayed honour. Shashi Kapoor was a visionary who did films that were ahead of their time."
Rishi Kapoor also congratulated his uncle on Twitter. Mr Kapoor is the third in the family to have received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, after his father Prithviraj and elder brother Raj.
Arun Jaitely, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, congratulated Mr Kapoor in a statement and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for I&B, said in a tweet that "his sensitive portrayal of human emotions has touched many a heart".
Mr Kapoor is the star of several Bollywood films as well as English movies produced by Merchant Ivory. His extensive filmography contains blockbusters like
Deewar and
Namak Halaal, acclaimed performances in
Junoon and
New Delhi Times, and
Merchant Ivory productions like
Heat and Dust and
The Householder. He also turned director with 1991 film
Ajooba and produced films such as
36 Chowringhee Lane and
Utsav.
Shashi Kapoor, the son of actor Prithviraj Kapoor, was instrumental in reviving the Prithvi theatre group started by his father. He is the younger brother of actors Raj and Shammi Kapoor. He was married to actress Jennifer Kendal, with who he co-starred in films like Bombay Talkies and Junoon, until her death in 1984. They have three children - Kunal, Karan and Sanjana Kapoor.
Shashi Kapoor won the National Award thrice and received the Padma Bhushan in 2011.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award - which consists of the Swarn Kamal or Golden Lotus, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs and a
shawl - will be given out with the National Film Awards this year. The previous recipient was lyricist-director Gulzar.