Shabana Azmi made her debut in Sandalwood in the 1970s with the film Kanneswara Rama. She went on to establish herself as a distinguished artist in South Indian films as well as Hindi cinema. Along with the award, a cheque of Rs 10 lakh was also given. Renowned poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar was present on the occasion. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recalled seeing Azmi in the visual poem Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, mentioning that it was one of his favourites. The Chief Minister also stated that just as copyright laws have been made beneficial for artists and musicians, efforts would be made to present a favourable opinion to the GST Council regarding similar benefits in the GST system. He had announced that the Karnataka government would establish a world-class film city in Mysuru with 150 acres of land already allotted for the project. The 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) kicked off on March 1.