Bhanu Athaiya, Gauri Shinde to be felicitated with Laadli Media Awards

The Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity, scheduled to be held on 5 February (2013) at the NCPA (Mumbai), will honour Indian cinema's most revered costume designer, Bhanu Athaiya with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Observed Dr Sharada, Director, Population First, "Every year we felicitate a woman achiever from the media who has been a pioneer in her field with the Laadli Lifetime Achievement Award. This year we are conferring the award on Bhanu Athaiya who made a significant contribution to the film industry as a costume designer, and made a place for herself in a field not usually associated with women.” The same evening will have renowned ad-film director and director of the Sridevi-starrer English Vinglish Gauri Shinde being bestowed with the award for Best Mainline Film for her directorial debut. Gita Aravamudan, a known writer for surfacing her views on gender issues will be awarded with the award for Best Book-Non-Fiction Disappearing Daughters: The Tragedy of Female Foeticide while National award winner KV Suveeran will be awarded for Best Feature Film for Byari that focuses on women in the Byari Muslim community. Recognized playwright Purva Naresh will receive the award for Best Drama Ok Tata Bye Bye which delves into the uncharted territory of sex workers, truck drivers and chaotic highways. Amongst many others a well-known icon in the advertising world, Sylvester da Cunha will receive a special award for Amul moppet, the Amul Girl, leading author and columnist Ranjit Lal for Best Book-Fiction for Faces in the Water a fast-paced book that focuses on female infanticide in India.