News Headline
India represented at Golden Globes courtesy ‘Bend It Like Beckham’
MUMBAI: The nominations for the 61st Golden Globe Awards were announced last evening. In India, the show will air live on Star World on 26 January.
There was good news for India. Gurinder Chadha’s crowd pleaser Bend It Like Beckham has been nominated in the motion picture comedy category. The film, aired earlier this year on Star Movies, had fetched the channel fair ratings. The competition includes the animation classic Finding Nemo and the multi layered British film Love Actually. It has got ten intertwining stories featuring the Who’s Who of British film.
The drama category will be a three-way dance between Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Cold Mountain and Clint Eastwood’s murder mystery Mystic River. Seabiscuit and the Russell Crowe sea faring adventure Master and Commander take up the other two spots.
In the television category, HBO once again dominates. It received 20 Golden Globe nominations, twice as many as any other television network this year. The Mike Nichols movie Angels in America led all original movies of any network with seven nominations including one for Meryl Streep. Sex and the City, which recently started airing in India Saturday nights on HBO, got five nominations. Six Feet Under which airs in India on Zee English too got a couple of nominations.
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.
