GECs
Hinduja Brothers receive ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’
MUMBAI: Promoters of Hinduja Group, Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, were presented with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for their contributions to the United Kingdom’s Asian community.
“This is a great honour and makes our responsibility more difficult and harder. Our dharma and duty is to serve the Asian community in Britain as best as we can,” said Hinduja Group co-chairman Gopichand Hinduja in his acceptance speech.
Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja were nominated alongside another NRI businessman Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources, former England cricket captain Nasser Hussain and Indian-born 102-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh.
“This government sincerely values the immense contribution of Britain’s Asian community and as Prime Minister I am extremely proud to lead a truly diverse nation where people of all backgrounds live and work so well together,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron in a special message sent for the awards night.
The Asian Achievers Awards (AAA), in its 13th year now, are organised by the ABPL Group, publishers of ‘Asian Voice’ and ‘Gujarat Samachar’ newspapers in the UK, to celebrate the achievements of south Asians based in Britain.
This year’s awards were dedicated towards highlighting the achievements of Asian women and all the money raised from a charity auction was earmarked for the Lily Foundation, a charity working against human trafficking in India and the UK.
“Large countries have lots of problems and these take time to solve. But I love the idea of India and I am confident that the time for India has come,” said Indian high commissioner to the UK Jaimini Bhagwati, a special guest at the event along with sari-clad Cherie Blair who described herself as ‘an honorary member of the Asian community’.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
