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Robin Bhatt re-elected president of the Screenwriters’ Association
New Delhi: Film writer Robin Bhatt was unanimously elected as the president of the Screenwriters’ Association (SWA) for the second consecutive term, here on Monday.
Bhatt debuted as a writer in Bollywood with the movie Aashiqui in 1990 and has penned the screenplay for over 60 films in his 30-year-long career, which includes blockbusters like Koi Mil Gaya, Baazigar, Omkara and Krishh. He will remain the president of the association for the next two years.
The 64th annual general body election meeting of the SWA was conducted virtually amid the Covid2019 restrictions on Sunday, in the presence of the office-bearers, scrutiny committee members, election officer, and other SWA members. Unique e-voting links were sent to all the registered members. The regular/life members and associate members voted online for the 21 posts of the executive committee, and three posts of the executive committee (associate) respectively.
Office bearers elected unopposed for the term 2021-23 are:
Robin Bhatt- president
Preeti Mamgain- vice president
Sanjay Chouhan- vice president
Zaman Habib- general secretary
Danish Javed – treasurer
Satyam Tripathy- joint secretary
Manisha Korde- joint secretary
The new members of the executive committee include writers Abhijeet Deshpande, Abhiruchi Chand, Anjum Rajabali, Debashish Irengbam, Dhananjay Kumar, Hitesh Kewalya, Hussain Haidry, Mitesh Shah, Nikhil Vyas, Puneet Sharma, Rajesh Dubey, Sagar Pandya, Saiwyn Quadras, Saket Chaudhary, Sameer Javed Siddiqi, Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh, Satyanshu Singh, Shailender Singh Sodhi (Shellee), Sumit Arora, Sweksha Bhagat, and Vinod Ranganath.
Deepanjan Roy, Gaurav Patki, and Persis Chirag Sodawaterwalla were elected as the associate members of the executive committee.
A trade union of screenwriters and lyricists who work for films, TV and digital media in India, SWA completed 60 years of its incorporation in 2020. It also includes authors, novelists, playwrights, journalists who aspire to diversify or join full-time the mediums of films, TV, or digital entertainment.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
