Kabir Bedi, the famous Bollywood star was presented with the World Heritage Cultural Center’s first Lifetime Achievement Cultural Award for his long, distinguished career in the arts. The awards ceremony was held April 5 at the TV Asia studios in New jersey. TV Asia Chairman H.R. Shah was also honored with WHCC’s Community Excellence Award. The evening was hosted by WHCC Board members Jyoti Soni and Victor Cruz.
Kabir Bedi has performed in film, television, and theater and is best known for roles in “The Bold and the Beautiful”, “Octopussy”, the Italian pirate series “Sandokan” (Sandokan), and over 60 Bollywood films including “Khoon Bhari Maang.” Kabir Bedi first film is Hulchul released in 1971. Some of the famous films in which Kabir Bedi acted are Hulchul (1971), Anari (1975), Nagin (1976), Aakhri Kasam (1979), Police Public (1990), Dil Aashna Hai (1992), Yagaar (1992), Kshatriya (1993), Salaami (1994), Kohram (1999), Kranti (2002), Maine Dil Tujhko Diya (2002), Talaash (2003), The Hero (2003), Rudraksh (2004), Asambhav (2004), Kismat (2004), Main Hoon Na (2004), Bewafaa (2005), Chakravyuh (2012). He has received several film awards, including Star Foundation Award in 2012.
The WHCC also announced plans for a new 30,000 square foot building, intended for the culturally diverse Brewster, New York, or Newtown, Conn. area, close to New York City. The facility will include an outdoor amphitheater and indoor theater, music recording studio, world library, lecture hall, class and conference rooms, event space including a grand ballroom, a WHCC press release said.
Founded in 2009, the WHCC has led more than 75 events with over 900,000 attendees in major U.S. cities. “There is a growing unmet need for real, in-person cultural connections,” founder Sattie Persaud said. “The new center for WHCC will enable us to meet that need for more people,” he added.
The center focuses on sharing cultural knowledge and creating a common ground for any culture in the world to interact. It also encourages those from other countries to keep their cultural heritage alive and celebrate and share their way of life through arts and food. It helps break down cultural barriers through education and community events. The new WHCC facility is the first of many planned across the country aimed to help communities to embrace diversity. WHCC plans to raise $200K by June 30 to purchase land for the center, with an intention of raising up to $6 million for the center’s completion.