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SS Music bags silver at Spark 2004 for Media Innovations
MUMBAI: Southern Spice Music won the silver award for Media Innovations at the 27th Annual Advertising Club Awards – Spark 2004 that were held on 19 March at Chennai. The award was given for the highly rated innovative programme Virtual Request on the channel.
Virtual Request is a unique 45 minutes technology savvy request programme from SS Music, where the viewers can place requests and in the process watch themselves on television. SS Music has placed kiosks in the Music World outlets in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Cochin and Chennai. This kiosk has a computer and a webcam through which viewers can record their request and place dedications. The same recording will played on Virtual Request. The programme airs daily at 6 pm.
SS Music head of sales and marketing Nischal Kumtakar says, “Virtual Request is one of the first innovative programming initiative of SS Music for all the music lovers in South India. The award is a major boost to the innovative and interactive programming in the channel. Owing to the success of the show, we plan to increase the number of kiosks and also spread it to other towns. We are proud to be associated with Hero Honda who is the Title Sponsor for the programme Virtual Request. With mega brands willing to work with us as Media Partners, this will help us in developing interactive properties to leverage the brand requirements of clients as well as our channel objectives.”
“I am sure with such young and dynamic programming team we will be able to win many more such awards in the days to come. These awards reiterate the fact that SS Music is the most favourite and preferred music channel in the South,” he added.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
