Category: Awards

Mumbai: Always committed to encouraging and celebrating the outstanding work of individuals, Lokmat Media Group once again hosted one of the most prestigious and respected awards in the state of Maharashtra, ‘Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards (LMOTY) 2023’ in Mumbai.

Lokmat honoured people who excel in politics, administration, social service, arts, sports and entertainment and celebrated their accomplishments. The Award celebrated and saluted the voice and recognizes the phenomenal work of the nominees who have changed the landscape of the state with their efforts and hard work.

The event witnessed the presence of prominent personalities like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation & Steel, Govt. of India and Raj Thackeray, Founder & Chairperson, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) as a guest of honors. Other special invitees at the event were Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group; Varun Dhavan, Indian Actor; Riteish Deshmukh, Indian Actor, Director; Jayant Patil, Former Finance Minister, Maharashtra; Amruta Fadnavis, Banker, Singer, Social Worker; Nana Patole, President, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee; Dr. Amol Kolhe, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha; Praful Patel, Member of Rajya Sabha and Lifestyle coach and motivational speaker Swami Gaur Gopal Das.

Rishi Darda, Joint Managing & Editorial Director, Lokmat Media Group said, “LMOTY is a platform to felicitate and salute some outstanding personalities for their phenomenal work over the years. Lokmat is a promising media group that will continue its work of encouraging people in various fields. Our three-level rigorous process of analyzing the work and selecting the winner is what makes this award so renowned. We have honored distinguished persons who are change-makers in Maharashtra with this prestigious award. And I believe our efforts will keep motivating people to do good work in their respective fields and we will keep felicitating such individuals.”

 Union Minister of Civil Aviation & Steel, Govt. of India, Jyotiraditya Scindia congratulated the Lokmat Media Group and Darda Family for hosting the event and all the attendees for attending the event and said, “This award event is an iconic and historic event which gets all Maharatrian together under one roof. I have a very strong relationship with this state. Though my constituency is Madhya Pradesh but my motherland is Maharashtra and will always remain. Today, we see Maharashtra’s prominence in various sectors like industrial, educational and cooperative sectors. But this land has a great history. Maharashtra has always been recognized for its culture and sacrifice. This land has seen many great people like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Jyotirao Phule. I always believe the revolution and transformation in India started from Maharashtra. The great India that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had dreamed of has come true under the leadership of our Prime Minister. Today Maharashtra has become a very independent and strong stage and contributes 15% of the total GDP of India. So, Maharashtra is a foundation on which the tower of India’s economic growth potentializes.”

 Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group showed his gratitude toward his employees’ hard work for getting the award and shared views on the growth of India and the Aditya Birla Group. He said “The country will see a growth of 6.7% every year which is an achievement for a large economy like ours. It helped us become one of the world’s largest and most prosperous economies. Our Aditya Birla Group is seeing good growth and we are expecting 20% of the revenue to come from our modern, consumer-facing businesses. We are syncing with the global trend and focusing more on consumer-facing business which always gets more valued. The legacy of growth will be continued by my children and they will drive the empire. Though my daughter pursued a career in singing and my son made his name in sports but now they have joined me. I always supported them in their decision of following their passion which made them more disciplined, more adaptable and learned to get along with the situation.”

While speaking about joining the Vodafone Idea board again, he said, “I see potential in the company and market which made me join the board again. Now the government has to have 3 players from the private sector in the industry given the strategic importance in the telecom sector which will help the sector grow.”

Indian Actor and Director, Riteish Deshmukh expressed his views on Marathi Cinema and said, “My movie ‘Ved’ gave me the title of Director and I am happy that the audience has shown their love for the movie. Marathi Cinema has always faced a lot of competition from Bollywood, Dubbed Hollywood and South Indian cinema. Also, we don’t get enough screens in comparison to other cinemas. But I really liked that now people are taking more interest in Marathi cinema too. I would like to thank Darda Family and Lokmat Group for giving platform, space and recognition to Marathi cinema.”

While receiving the LMOTY award, Bollywood Actor Varun Dhawan said, “Maharashtra is my motherland where I started my work too, and getting award title of Maharashtrian of the Year award means a lot to me. These days we see many awards functions but this award is very special as it felicitates the work done by Maharashtra people. I am thankful to Lokmat Group for giving me such a prestigious award.”

Founder and Chairperson, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Raj Thackeray was interviewed by Amruta Fadnavis and Dr. Amol Kolhe, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha at Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year 2023 by Lokmat Media Group.  While expressing his views in a humorous as well as witty manner during his engrossing interview, he said, “I always wanted to get into filmmaking but I pursued my career as a cartoonist and later as a politician.  Now being a politician, I have to do a lot for the betterment of people. I am a proud Maharashtrian; Marathi will always be my topic of discussion and agenda of the party.  I always believe parties must keep their word and fulfil their promises. As an opposition, I will criticize the wrong practice of the ruling parties but will praise the right work too.”

The questions ranged from his personal life to his political career as well as his choice of favourite politician between Sharad Pawar and Narendra Modi; his preferred Chief Minister between Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde. During the rapid-fire round, he was also asked to give one-word advice to Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray.

The nominees get selected by a rigorous process of editorial meetings, public voting and then by a panel of eminent jury. The jury for the selection of this year’s Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Award winners comprised renowned personalities such as Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Dr. Vijay Darda (Chairman, Lokmat Media Group), Balasaheb Thorat (Former minister of Revenue,Agriculture), Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar (World renowned scientist), Sanjiv Mehta (Chairman & MD – HUL), Schauna Chauhan (CEO – Parle Agro), Satya Raghavan (Country head – Youtube India), Kailash Kher, Dr. Sonal Parmar (Principal, Cathedral and John Connon School) ,Dr. Sanjay Oak ( Chairman, Covid Task Force), Rishi Darda (JMD & Editorial Director – Lokmat Media Group).

The evening became more insightful with the special interview of Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group with Rishi Darda, JMD & Editorial Director, Lokmat Media Group) and of Raj Thackeray, Founder and Chairperson, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) with Amruta Fadnavis, Banker, Siger, Social worker; and Dr. Amol Kolhe, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha.

The Special LMOTY Award for Visionary Industrialist went to Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group. The Special LMOTY Award Indian Actor and Indian Director were bestowed upon Varun Dhawan and Riteish Deshmukh respectively.

Mumbai: The coveted Black Lady of Filmfare honoured the artistic and technical excellence of Hindi Cinema with a brand-new edition of the glorious awards night, the 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023 with Maharashtra Tourism. Held on 27 April 2023, at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, the mega event witnessed the big names from Indian Cinema gracing the red carpet, entertaining the crowd, and being felicitated for their work across different categories such as Popular, Critics’ and Technical. These awardees were selected by the esteemed jury of filmmakers, screenwriters and dignified legends from the Indian Cinema, who, with their candour have applauded some of the best upcoming talents for the future of the Hindi Cinema in the form of winners. The fans of Hindi Cinema can watch the exclusive telecast of this magnificent awards night on Colors and a simulcast on Jio Cinema on 28 April 28 at 9 pm.

The event was a true spectacle of glory and entertainment with audiences revelling in sheer excitement and loud cheers as Badhaai Do was announced as the winner of the Best Film Critics award. The award for Best Debutants was bestowed upon Ankush Gedam and Andrea Kevichusa for Male & Female category respectively for their fresh and breathtaking acting in Jhund and Anek. Rajkummar Rao emerged victorious in the Best Actor (Male) category for his exceptional portrayal of the character of Shardul Thakur, a gay man, in the movie Badhaai Do, while the Best Actor (Female) award was presented to the stunningly beautiful Alia Bhatt for her role in Gangubai Kathiawadi.

In addition to the immense love and appreciation that the movies and their actors received from the fans, the esteemed jury panel also recognized and honoured winners across other categories. Veteran Actor Sanjay Mishra took home the Black Lady in the Best Actor (Male) of the Critics’ Choice category. The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the legendary Prem Chopra by Mangal Prabhat Lodha, honorable Minister of Tourism, Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra. The awards ceremony was a spectacular celebration of the exceptional talent and hard work of the film industry.

This year’s Filmfare ceremony was nothing short of historic, as it featured the megastar Salman Khan taking on the role of host for the very first time, alongside co-hosts Ayushmann Khurrana and Maniesh Paul. As Salman Khan made his grand entrance onto the stage, his magnetic presence filled the air, leaving the audience in awe. The fans were visibly thrilled, bursting with energy and enthusiasm, making it an unforgettable night. The evening was also graced by the presence of the resplendent and graceful Smt. Amruta Fadnavis, who radiated elegance and poise.

Talking about the success of the awards night, Worldwide Media Ltd CEO Deepak Lamba said, “The evening was a true celebration of talent, complete with outstanding entertainment and breathtaking performances. Salman Khan made a successful debut as the host of the Filmfare Awards, captivating the audience with his humour and honesty. Congratulations to all the winners of the prestigious Black Lady. We are thrilled to have Hyundai Motor India as our Title Partner and Maharashtra Tourism as our Destination Partner for the first time ever. Our longstanding association with Colors has helped us push boundaries and put together a power-packed show, which will be broadcasted in less than 24 hours. The show will air tonight at 9 PM with a simulcast on Jio Cinema, our digital partner for the first time. We would like to thank everyone who made this year’s event a memorable one and look forward to an even grander event in the upcoming years.”

Sharing his thoughts, Filmfare editor Jitesh Pillai shared, “Another year added to the legacy of Filmfare Awards as the Hindi Film Industry continues to raise the bar in storytelling and entertaining audiences. We laud the efforts of the talent that is leaving an indelible mark with their skills, art, and flair. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for their outstanding contributions to cinema, and for keeping the show running. With the culmination of the 68th edition of the Filmfare Awards, I’d like to thank all the people from the Hindi Film Fraternity who joined us in our celebrations today. Let’s continue to push boundaries and create magic on the big screen.”

Bollywood stars Vicky Kaushal, Tiger Shroff, Janhvi Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Govinda were the top entertainers of the event by performing on their hit numbers exclusively for the fans of Filmfare. Fans were in for a surprise as Salman took on the stage for the welcome act. He also shook a leg with his partner Govinda on their iconic song Partner.

The red carpet of this glamorous event was a captivating site to behold as witnessed the biggies from the showbiz posing and presenting their fashion style statement such as Salman Khan, Ayushmaan Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao, Tiger Shroff, Govinda Maniesh Paul, Vicky Kaushal, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Jaideep Ahalwat, Prosenjit, Aparshakti Khurana, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sooraj Barjatya, Madhur Bhandarkar, Ayan Mukerji, Pritam, Jeetendra, Manish Malhotra, Sanjay Mishra, Adinath Kothare, Abhimanyu Dasani, Munawar Faruqui, Prateik Babbar, Shantanu Maheshwari, Harshvardhan Kapoor , Sharad Kelkar and many more who looked their dashing, debonair and dapper selves. On the other hand, beauties from Indian Cinema like Rekha, Alia Bhatt, Kajol, Raveena Tandon, Janhvi Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Pooja Hegde, Dia Mirza, Nargis Fakhri, Rakul Preet Singh, Sanjana Sanghi,  Pranutan, Guneet Monga, Manisha Koirala, Prajakta Koli, Alaya F, Andrea Kevichusa, Poonam Dhillon, Anusha Dandekar, Amruta Fadnavis, Akshara Haasan, Sunny Leone, Shriya Saran, Swara Bhaskar, Richa Chadha, Hina Khan, Amruta Khanvilkar, Darshan Kumar, Daisy Shah, Sheeba Chaddha, Aahana Kumra, Ameesha Patel, Manushi Chhillar, Saiyami Kher, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Rupali Ganguly and many more graced the carpet as they looked gorgeous and glamorous.

This celebration was held at the beautiful Jio World Convention Centre, India’s largest convention, exhibition, and social events facility in the heart of the Mumbai city, Bandra Kurla Complex. The official Venue Partner for awards this year, Jio World Convention Centre is a landmark destination that consists of transformative spaces, backed by technology that is well-equipped to host virtual, physical and hybrid events.

The 68 Filmfare Awards 2023 is presented by Hyundai Motor India as the Title Partner, Destination Partner Maharashtra Tourism, Co-presented by Vimal Elaichi, Co-powered by Amway Nutrilite, Amazon India and TAC – The Ayurveda Company, Special Partners – Greenply and Migsun Group, Exclusive Telecast Partners – Colors and Colors Cineplex, Digital Partner – Jio Cinema, Venue Partner – Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai and in association with John Players, Reliance Footwear, Yardley and Killer, Music Partner – T-Series, Gifting & Invitation Partner – Izzhaar, Radio Partner – 98.3 Mirchi, Outdoor Partner- Bright Outdoor, Trophy Partner – The Award Gallery, Ambient Media Partner – Khushi Advertising, Technical Direction & Stage Management- On Cue Productions, Acts Choreographed & Designed by – Caesar Gonsalves and team, Designed, Scripted, Directed and Produced by – Hyperlink Brand Solutions, Show directed by – VG Jairam