Sir Ben Kingsley To Be Celebrated With Fellowship Award At The Asian Awards

Online, April 2, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Kingsley was born, Krishna Pandit Bhanji, to an English mother and Gujarati father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji. He changed his name early in his career after gaining recognition as a stage actor. His impressive five-decade career, has seen the 69-year-old pick up incredible accolades at the Oscars, Grammys, BAFTA's, Golden Globes and SAG awards and in 1984 he was awarded the prestigious Padma Sri by Indira Gandhi and the government of India.

However, it is his Oscar-winning portrayal as Gandhi in 1982 that he is still most renowned for, although his performance as Itzhak Stern in Schindler's List in 1993 also earned him plaudits.

Paul Sagoo, founder of The Asian Awards, said: "Ben Kingsley is without a doubt one of the most accomplished actors of Asian descent and we are incredibly proud and excited to celebrate the remarkable career of such an outstanding individual."

Hosted once again by Lord Sebastian Coe, The Asian Awards is being attended by an array of stars including Sir Ben Kingsley, Beverley Knight, Ivanka Trump, Kamui Kobayashi, James Caan, Gok Wan, Nancy Delallio, Colin Jackson and Dame Judy Dench. This year Bruce Lee is also going to be honoured with the prestigious Founders Award for his iconic status and impact on western cinema. His wife, Linda Lee will be receiving the award on his behalf.

Kingsley is currently filming Iron Man 3 and will be coming to London to collect the award on April 16th at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane.

Last year the late Ravi Shankar, also known as the 'Godfather of World Music' was presented with the coveted Fellowship award for his outstanding contribution to the music industry.

The Asian Awards has honoured some of the world's most influential South Asians from Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan to legendary artistes, Asha Bhosle, Freddie Mercury (posthumously), Amitabh Bachchan, Jay Sean and AR Rahman to powerful business magnates Ratan Tata, Vijay Mallya and Dr KP Singh, and leaders in technology such as Google's Amit Singhal.

Notes for Editors:

· The Asian Awards was conceived by Paul Sagoo, founder of consultancy Lemon Group. A celebration of excellence among the global Asian community, they were launched in 2010 and now recognise and reward the outstanding achievements of individuals born from anywhere within the Asian region across all disciplines of life - from business to the arts, culture, sport and public service. The ceremony draws 1,000 of the most influential people in the Asian community and has raised over £200,000 for charity.

· Now in its third year, The Asian Awards In Partnership with Sotheby's International Realty has cast its net wider to include nominees from across the Asian continent. In previous years, The awards has recognised the achievements of individuals of South Asian origin, but for the first time, nominees with origins from China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and other East Asian countries have also been considered

· United Kingdom Sotheby's International Realty is known for world-class service, integrity and international marketing. The brand has become known around the world for the distinctive properties it represents. The company is founded on the principles of the very best service, holding true to the values people would expect from the Sotheby's brand. Through its network of six offices in Mayfair, Chelsea, Cobham, Canford Cliffs, Stratford-upon-Avon and Henley on Thames, the company is adept at helping customers and clients buy, sell or let substantial multi-million pound homes and large scale multi-unit residential schemes, to city pieds a terre and country cottages.