The 16th edition of ABP Ananda Sera Bangali Award 2022 held at ITC Royal Bengal put the spotlight on 10 extremely talented and passionate individuals of the city who have not just contributed to the cultural and social thread of Bengal but also inspired millions with their craft, hard work and passion. The glittering evening that saw Tolly star Priyanka Sarkar as emcee, witnessed talents from the field of art, literature, sports, business and others receiving the prestigious award. Here’s the highlights of the most awaited award of Bengal that returned after a pandemic-induced hiatus of two years.
Actor Priyanka Sarkar added more glam to the evening as she anchored the award ceremony. She looked gorgeous in a bright pink Benarasi.
The evening kicked off on a melodious note by singer Samadipta Mukhopadhyay who sang a mix of Rabindrasangeet in Bengali and English.
Actor Anirban Bhattacharya whose rise in the industry has been remarkable and who has enchanted cinema lovers with films like Dracula Sir, Shah Jahan Regency and Mukhosh among others was the first one to receive the ABP Ananda Sera Bangali Award. And he received the award from none other than Tollywood superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee. Wearing a white kurta with kantha shawl, Anirban said, “I feel honoured to have got the award from a group like ABP Ananda. However, I feel I am a little under-age for this award but nevertheless it feels good. It shows that people and fans expect big things from me and they depend on me. This is a big responsibility too and that scares me a bit but I am very happy. Also, the icing on the cake was Bumba da giving the award.”
Usha Uthup and her contribution to music is intrinsic to the cultural thread of Bengal. The legendary pop icon of India received the award in the music category. Beaming with pride, she said, “Awards make me want to work and sing harder and with more love and affection. It’s great to receive an award and thank you to ABP for giving me this award. I would like to reiterate once more, you are all Bengali by birth and I am a Bengali by choice.”
Thespian and actor Meghnad Bhattacharya (right) received the ABP Ananda Sera Bangali Award 2022 in the drama category. He received the award from legendary theatre personality, actor and social activist Bibhash Chakraborty. He said, “Theatre travels through struggle and theatre is born every day and it dies every day, but there’s a joy in that. I am really happy that I got this award. It makes a lot of difference to my process.”
There are very few who can dream big and then fulfil their dreams and also those of their parents. Suvankar Sen of Senco Gold and Diamonds is not just carrying forward the legacy of his late father, he also took it to a height that would make his predecessors proud. He was awarded the ABP Ananda Sera Bangali Award for entrepreneurship by Tollywood hearthrob Dev. Sen said, “I have seen the dedication with which my father used to work. You know, if you can dream it, you can do it. Success is a collective effort and we work towards satisfying the customer. This award is a reminder to me that I am moving in the right direction and carrying forward the legacy of my father and grandfather successfully.”
Mountaineer Piyali Basak received the award in the sports category for her unputdownable spirit for not just scaling mountains but fighting all odds with a never-quit attitude. Excited to receive the award from her favourite actor Abir Chatterjee, Piyali said, “This is a big boost to my confidence and it will only encourage me to keep doing what I am doing. I again plan to scale Mount Everest without any oxygen support. Whatever the odds be I just want to keep scaling new heights and make India proud.”
Shib Shankar Mukherji (right) has faced many challenges in his life but he has a way of overcoming them. Synonymous with The Oberoi Grand in the city, which was the starting point of his career, his “I can handle anything” attitude aided in tackling any challenges in his life — personal or professional and got the award in business category. He was awarded by Bandhan Bank’s Chandrashekhar Ghosh.
For his commitment to science and technology, Parthasarathi Ghose (right) took home the golden award in the category of science. The other stalwarts who have won in this category in the past include Sohini Ghosh, Anita Sengupta, Arobindo Chakraborty and others.
Pracheta Gupta (right) and his pen have created many remarkable works both for the journalism and literary world. Some even inspired film-makers to adapt it for the screen. For instance, Chander Bari and Necklace. And it’s his rich and thought-provoking literary works that got him the award in the literature category. “I had a strange affinity with stories and characters when I used to sit to write. I try to keep my journalistic self and writer self separate. And you can hardly find them melding in my work,” he said. The other literary legends honoured in this category in the past include Amit Chaudhuri, Samaresh Majumdar, Joy Goswami, Saheen Akhtar and others. He received the award from another literary great Smaranjit Chakraborty (left) and Bimal Choudhary, MD Anmol Industries LTD.
Serar Sera Samman
The concluding award of the evening was the Serar Sera Samman that has been awarded to noteworthy personalities like Sourav Ganguly, Mamata Banerjee, Pranab Mukherjee, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and others in the past. This year it was handed over to the maverick raconteur Manishankar Mukhopadhyay (right) who needs no introduction to those who are attached to the Bengali literary world and whose outstanding work includes Chowringhee. “When I was writing Chowringhee we had no electricity. My mom and I would read story books under a hurricane light,” remembered the octogenarian.
Lifetime Achievement Award
One of the greatest actors in the history of Bengali cinema, Madhabi Mukhopadhyay has been muse to many film-makers. The artiste is known for her stellar performance in Bimal Bhowmik and Narayan Chakraborty directed Dibaratrir Kabya that got her the National Award for Best Actress. Humbled and elated, Mukhopadhyay said, “I have got a lot of awards in my life but this one is special because it comes from my turf. I have been felicitated by many in India and abroad but when recognition comes from home, it means a lot.”