MUMBAI: Playback legend Manna Dey, best known for evergreen Hindi film songs like Ae mere pyaare watan... will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest honour in Indian cinema, his family told the media on Wednesday.

Media reports say Dey's family members were informed by the Information and Broadcasting ministry on Tuesday. Manna Dey, born Prabodh Chandra Dey has recorded more than 3,500 songs over the course of his career that started in the early 1940s.

He started his career in playback singing with the movie Tamanna... in 1943. The song was an instant hit and later he sang a solo, Upar Gagan Vishal..., in the 1950 movie Mashal....

His all-time hits include Sur na saje kya gaun main..., Na to karanwa ki talash hai na to humsafar ki talash hain..., Puchho na kaise maine rain bitayee..., Laga chunari main daag..., Aaja sanam madhur chandani mein hum..., Dil ka haal sune dilwala..., Ye raat bhigi bhigi, ye masta fijzayen..., Jhanak jhanak tori baaje payaliya..., Tu pyar ka saagar hai..., Chunari sambhal gori udi chali jaye re... and Ay meri Zohara....

He also teamed up with Kishore Kumar for hit numbers like Yeh dosti hum nahin torenge... (...Sholay...) and Ek chatur naar... (...Padosan...).