News Broadcasting
Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee win Star’s Sabsey Favourite Kaun Awards 2006
May 7, 2006 : The wait is finally over… The verdict is out…The journey that started over three months ago has reached a triumphant conclusion.. Over 9 lakh fans from India & 23 nations across the globe have declared their Sabsey Favourites. And 7 winners have walked away with the only true measure of their popularity with the masses: the unique gold brick trophy of the Schwarzkopf Palette Sabsey Favourite Kaun Awards.
The battles were close in practically every category, with leads changing hands practically, every day of the 30 day national voting period. But at the end, when the dust settled, this is how the picture looked:
The Sabsey Favourite Hero category surprised no one by boiling down to a battle between the Khans – Shahrukh & Salman, with Shahrukh Khan winning almost by a hair’s breadth. It just proved once again that while Shahrukh is truly King Khan, the masses adoration for Salman remains undiminished despite all his recent travails. Bengali beauty Rani Mukerji was crowned Sabsey Favourite Heroine with competition from Aishwarya Rai.and Rani’s cousin Kajol. The results are testimony to the enduring popularity of the Mukerji cousins Rani has had no releases since almost a year, and Kajol has had none after Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in 2002. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s BLACK laid to rest all arguments about it being the favourite of only the classes with the masses declaring it a clear winner in the Sabsey Favourite Film category. In the Sabsey Favourite Naya Hero category the fight was really close between Kunal Kapoor and Kunal Khemu, with Kunal Kapoor coming through in the end. Doe eyed Vidya Balan won the Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroine , pipping Katrina Kaif to the post. The Sabsey Favourite Comic Hero saw a hat trick as Paresh Rawal bagged the award for the third year in a row. The Sabsey Tez Sitara Award – the only award not voted in by fans, but where film industry experts pick out the rising star who has made the most strides in the last one year- went to John Abraham. He followed in the footsteps of Abhishek Bachchan who had won last year.
Last but not the least, an award that holds a special meaning for the lakhs of fans who voted in: The Sabsey Bada Fan Award: Mrs. Madhuri M. Madekar from Kalyan had participated in the Sabsey Bada Fan contest was crowned the Sabsey Bada Fan: the fan who voted the most number of times for the eventual winner.
Of course, it was not just about the awards. The performances were stunning as well. The night was filled with excitement as Trickbaby from London performed their megahits from Bluffmaster. What’s more, the video of the song ‘Nine Parts of Desire’, featuring Abhishek Bachchan, was unveiled for the first time, at the awards ceremony. Udita Goswami & Kunal Khemu rocked the event as they performed a medley of Himesh Reshammiya songs – remixed to reflect the various musical forms of the country. So don’t be surprised if you hear “Jhalak Dikhla Jaa” in Bharatnatyam beats or “Laagi Laagi” in Bhangra style.
Tanushree Dutta with Vinay Pathak & Suresh Menon of the Great Indian Comedy Show showed viewers what it would be like in 2006 when the all-time classics of Hindi cinema – Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony, Don & more are remade. Hilarious skits on the theme with classic numbers from those films remixed made for compelling viewing. Fardeen Khan performed on the theme “The Many Moods of Fardeen”. The show stopper was Hrithik Roshan; in a thrilling performance tracking his journey from ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ to ‘Krrish’. This was also his first ever stage performance based on ‘Krrish’. The whole performance was specially choreographed by ace choreographer Ganesh Hegde. The Host with the Most Arshad Warsi and his spunky wife Maria Goretti hosted the show and had the audience in splits with their one liners. Viewers will certainly have a treat when Star Gold telecasts the event on the 14th of May at 8 pm.
And it is the viewers themselves who have chosen the nominees as well as the winners of Star Gold’s Schwarzkopf Palette Sabsey Favourite Kaun 2006- the only awards show were winners are honoured for their popularity and not performances in a particular film. While the Sabsey Favourite Kaun Election Express covered 45 towns & 24,000 kms to collect almost 1 lakh votes from fans to create the nomination lists, more than 8 Lakh votes came in through sms, the internet ( indya.com ) and televoting to choose the final winners. In all, almost 9 lakh votes from India as well as countries as far flung as Afghanistan, Peru, Bahrain, Tanzania, Mozambique, Bangladesh , and of course, USA, UK & the Middle East were cast to choose the eventual winners. Today it all came together for the grand finale.
Get your popcorn ready for 8 pm this Sunday, 14 th May, when the spectacular ceremony will be telecast on Star Gold.
Inox were the Multiplex partners for the event, indya.com the official website and RED FM the official radio partner. All the trophies (the gold bricks) were crafted specially by Gilli.
News Broadcasting
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.
