GECs
Alpha Gaurav 2004 salutes the talent, spirit and essence of Mumbai
MUMBAI: Will the real Mr Mumbaikar stand up please? No this time it isn’t one of the “Mee Mumbaikar” campaigns, but it was Cinthol Alpha Gaurav Puraskar 2004’s clarion call.
With attendees comprising biggies of the Marathi entertainment industry to the political hot shots including the former chief minister of Maharastra Vilasrao Deshmukh and minister of state Kripashankar Singh, the fifth annual awards based on the theme Mumbai was true to the Marathi spirit… witty, yet wry.
Just like its predecessor ceremony- the nomination night, the award ceremony started bang on time. Held at NSE complex, Goregaon, Mumbai on 8 February 2004, the Cinthol Alpha Gaurav tried to encapsulate the journey of the city from being a cluster to seven islands, to being a British Empire to the cosmopolitan city that it is today.
Every thing from the venue to the Gateway of India set designed by Ajit Dandekar spelt big. The grounds were packed to its capacity much before the event started. Resplendent was the word to describe the welcome dance number by Resham Tipnis and Rajeshwari Sachdeva. That sort of set the ball rolling for the evening. While neither the technical finesse nor the special effects were anything to write home about, the sheer energy of the show was such that nothing seemed amiss.
While Sandeep Kulkarni (Shwas) and Uttara Borkar (Vastupurush) took home the honour of being the best actors male and female respectively, Shwas was adjunct as the best Marathi motion picture of the year. The show held under the aegis of Alpha Marathi -Zee’s Marathi entertainment arm- conferred honours on Bapu Chitaranjan Kolhatkar, Prabhakar Panshikar and Vijaya Mehta for their contribution to the Marathi regional cinema and theatre in its life time achievement category.
Be it angst ridden, musical act by Sachin Khedekar or the playful “Mala Bhi Mumbayit Rahudya kii” (let me stay in Mumbai), there was always an underlying message that the show aimed to send across. Akin to the Marathi culture, the programme was all about poking humour at oneself and yet trying to look at the brighter side. What it came across loud and clear was that Maharastrians desperately need to get rid of their underdog mentality and pursue their dreams with keen and focused interest. The messages of the lifetime achievement award winners seconded the same views.
An old hat at Marathi theater Panshikar, used the stage as a platform to voice his views on the sorry state of Marathi theatre while urging the politically sound invitees to look into the matter of excessive entertainment tax.
The penultimate act of the evening, by the man that made it big in the big bad Bollywood, Mahesh Manjrekar was fun act…. loads of style and minus any messages. As for the final act of the day, all the winners gathered on the stage for an impromptu prayer.
Here is the list of winners:
Motion Picture honours:
Best Art Direction- Sumati Bhave – Vastupurursh
Best Dance Direction- Manisha Sathe- Tarunyachya Latewar
Best Cinematography- Deboo Deodhar- Anahat
Best Narration- Neraj Vohralia – Shwas
Best Lyricists- Ilahi Jjamdar- “Suryoday Ek Navi Pahaat” Shapit Majhi Priti
Best Music- Ashish Keskar- Tarunyacha Latewar
Best Playback Singer (male)- Salil Kulkarni – Vithal Vithal
Best Playback Singer (female)-Devki Pandit- Not only Mrs Raut
Best Story- Ajay Ahire- Not only Mrs Raut
Best Screenplay- Sandeep Sawant- Shwas
Best Dialogues- Sandeep Sawant- Shwas
Best Child Artiste- Ashwin Chitale- Shwas
Best Actor (male)- Sandeep Kulkarni- Shwas
Best Actor (female)- Uttara Borkar- Vastupurush
Best Director- Sandeep Sawant- Shwas
Best Movie- Shwas
Theatre honours:
Best Screenplay- Pravin Mulay- Celebration
Best Light effects- Sheetal Talphade- Kaala ya laglaya jiva
Best Story- Dr Shirish Athavle- Mitr
Best Music- Nirmal Kumar- Lagnakallol
Best supporting actor (female)- Geetanjali Kulkarni-Lagnakallol
Best supporting actor (male)- Vaibhav Mangle- Lagnakallol
Best Direction- Paresh Mokashi- Lagnakallol
Best Theatre Production – Lagnakallol
Best Experimental Play- Darshan- Mita Arts Kalyan
Intercollegiate Theatre Production
Best Actor (female)- One act play- Purva Shinde – Black Out
Best Actor (male)- One act play- Sachin Shinde- Black Out
Best One act play- Black Out – HPT abd AIK Commerce and Arts University Nasik
Music Album:
Best Lyricists- Chandrasekhar Sonkar- “Jivant Aahe Jara Jara Me” Bedhund
Best Singer- Swapnil Bandodkar- “Ha Chandra Tujhya Sathi” Bedhund
Best Singer (female)- Panchami- Tanuja Jog ” Tanha” Yaad tujhi chhalte
Best Music – Nandu Honap- Yaad tujhi chhalte
Best Album- Yaad tujhi chhalte – Wings
Special Cinthol Alpha Gaurav Awards 2004:
Special
1. Cinthol Bright face- Sulaja Prabhudesia
2. Cinthol Best debut- Aanchal
3. Godrej popular couple- Sachin and Supriya Pilgoankar
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
