Event Coverage
The third edition of Femina and Mamaearth presents Beautiful Indians 2024
Mumbai: Embracing the spirit of kindness, Femina, a leading women’s lifestyle brand, joined forces with Mamaearth to celebrate the good deeds of individuals at the third edition of Femina And Mamaearth presents Beautiful Indians 2024. The star-studded event was hosted on 19 March 2024, where individuals from diverse walks of life were honoured, reiterating the fact that there is beauty in every act of kindness. Hosted by Aparshakti Khurana, the event celebrated individuals whose charisma and expertise have not only inspired but also contributed significantly to bringing about positive change. Taking the celebrations higher pop singer Akasa Singh dazzled the audience with her power-packed performance.
The Jury comprising prominent personalities selected the Beautiful Indians who have inspirational stories. These are ordinary people, celebrities, and content creators, who won the award in the People For Good, Creators For Good, and Special Awards categories. A jury includes Nigar Shaji – programme director, Low Earth & Planetary Platforms, ISRO; Amruta Subhash – National Award-winning actor; Bina Lashkari – co-founder and director of Door Step School; actor, producer and author Huma Qureshi; Ghazal & Varun Alagh – founders of Honasa Consumer Ltd. MamaEarth; and Ambika Muttoo, Editor-in-chief of Femina, had taken on the challenge of sorting through thousands of entries.
Amongst the celebrations, the crowd cheered the highest when the Dhak Dhak girl Madhuri Dixit did her iconic step on the ghaghra song along with Tamannaah Bhatia and Ghazal Alagh. The latter also confessed to having started her acting career inspired by Madhuri Dixit. Furthermore, heartthrob Kartik Aaryan shook a leg on stage making the crowd go gaga over his song from his blockbuster movie along with Shilpa Shetty and Aparshakti Khurana.
Among the recipients of the Special Awards, Tiger Shroff with his awe-inspiring action sequences, won the title of Youth Icon, while versatile actor and performer Siddhant Chaturvedi bagged the Rising Star award. Ananya Panday, who gave us a splendid performance in her recent release was declared the Standout Performer Of The Year (Female) while Kartik Aaryan received the Standout Performer Of The Year (Male) award for his performance in his latest movie. Bobby Deol stole hearts as the Most Loved Star and his trending dance on the famous entry track in his superhit movie, while Madhuri Dixit held the spotlight as the Sensational Superstar. Tamannaah Bhatia won the title of Star in the Spotlight accolade. Entertaining us with his gimmicks, social media sensation Orry took home the award for Entertainer of the Year. Karisma Kapoor, renowned as the first Kapoor lady to make a career in films, was hailed as a trailblazer, while Manish Malhotra was honoured with the Fashion Visionary award. Sini Shetty, our dazzling Femina Miss India World 2022, was applauded for her Beauty For A Purpose. Versatile actor Shraddha Kapoor won the title as Fan Favorite, while Sobhita Dhulipala, always on top of her style game, took home the laurel for Fashion It girl.
The People for Good category honoured goodness ambassadors including:
1 Prasiddhi Singh – Child Environmentalist & Social Entrepreneur, Chennai
2 Deep Narayan Nayak – educator transforming lives across generations, West Bengal
3 Kiran Kamdar – Parkinson’s Warrior Ensuring Hospital Patients Get Essential Nutrition, Mumbai
4 Dwishojoyee Banerjee – young environmental activist saving The Planet, One Paper Bag At A Time, Patna
5 Sahil Kaushar – CEO Of The Noble citizen foundation, Bihar
6 Dilshad Mehershahi, Geetanjali Gaur, Beverly Louis & Gautam Lalwani of Mann – co-founders Of Mann, Mumbai
7 Dr Meghana Pemmaiah – Wildlife veterinarian on a rescue mission, Mangaluru
The Creators for Good recognised content creators who have leveraged their reach to bring about change for the better. The winners included:
1 Ted The Stoner – Fervent Advocate for positive social change
2 Aishwarya Sharma – fashion & climate change activist
3 Anupriya Kapur – entrepreneur & inspiring role model
4 Tarun Mishra – founder of Help Drive Foundation
5 Gayatri Bhardwaj – Dedicated Animal Welfare Warrior
6 Revant Himatsingka (FoodPharmer) – influencer creating positive change
7 Barkha Singh – actor and influencer raising her voice for animal welfare
The glamorous awards show witnessed celebrities gracing the red carpet, setting new style standards. Industry divas such as Shilpa Shetty, Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Shraddha Kapoor, Sunny Leone, Tamannaah Bhatia, Huma Qureshi, Kanika Kapoor set the evening afire in their stunning gowns, while Tiger Shroff, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Bobby Deol, Kartika Aryan, amongst others exuded charm in their tuxedos and suits.
Worldwide Media director Rohit Gopakumar and CEO ZENL, BCCL TV & Digital Network, reflected on the journey of Femina and Mamaearth, stating, “Femina has a legacy of celebrating beauty which is more than just skin deep. Our longstanding commitment lies in showcasing the remarkable stories of individuals who bring about impactful change in their sphere of work. They are the true heroes of the land who inspire and motivate our audience. Beautiful Indians is an exceptional platform from Femina that shines a light on the innate goodness within every individual. The third edition of Beautiful Indians (2024) was a splendid success. Through this property, we are happy to recognise and celebrate the growing goodness around us.”
Femina editor-in-chief Ambika Muttoo commented, “Our collaboration with Mamaearth has created a powerful platform that honours the impact of good deeds in society. Season 3 of Femina And Mamaearth Present Beautiful Indians celebrates inspiring stories of individuals who choose to spread love and positivity in their actions. This initiative highlights that true beauty lies not just in appearance but in the kindness and compassion we show to others.”
Mamaearth co-founder & chief innovation officer Ghazal Alagh said, “After an overwhelming response for season 2, we are back with Season 3 of Femina & Mamaearth presents Beautiful Indians 2024. Built on the fundamentals of goodness inside, Mamaearth has always believed in celebrating goodness in every form. At Mamaearth, we have always believed that beauty is beyond skin-deep, and our collaboration with Femina for Beautiful Indians is an extension of that philosophy and belief. We are delighted to partner with Femina to bring alive the stories of beautiful Indians around us and hope to continue to further strengthen this partnership through this journey of celebrating goodness.”
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
