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Surya TV to air AMMA’s mega event
MUMBAI: Surya TV, part of the Sun Network, will be the official TV channel for the mega event called Ammayodoppam Oru Thara Sandhya, organised by the Malayalam Cine Artists Association (AMMA) in Kerala.
The show, part of a fund-raising exercise, is scheduled to be held on 4 April 2003 and is being exclusively marketed by New Age Entertainment. It will be held in a football stadium in Calicut with a seating capacity of more than 50,000 people.
Surya TV, the Malayalam channel, will air the five hour non-stop extravaganza on 12 and 13 April 2003. The channel is confident that the event will boost its TRP ratings. For this purpose, the channel has also scheduled 10 half hour curtain raisers that will start airing from 1 April 2003, leading to the show. Each curtain raiser will have interviews with superstars on their family life and a sneak preview of the show, adds a press release.
According to the release, the entire Malayalam film industry has signed an agreement and confirmed their participation in this event. The agreement has been signed by the AMMA president Innocent and AMMA secretary superstar Mammooty, who has been bestowed with the Padmashree award.
The release further states that the agreement debars the stars from performing or appearing in any other show before this mega event. Bollywood superstars will also be present to extend support.
The event will see the coming together of mega stars like Mamooty, Mohan Lal, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Murali, Jayaram, Innocent, Nedumudi Venu, TP Madhavan and Jagathy Sreekumar to name a few and popular singers like K J Yesudas, Jayachandran, M G Srikumar, Biju Narayanan, Vidhu Pratap, S Janaki, Chitra, P Susheela and Sujatha.
A similar exercise had been undertaken by the Tamil Cine Artist Association wherein the events were held in Singapore and Malaysia. All the Tamil film stars , right from Rajnikanth, Kamalhasan and Vijaykant had participated. This created a record in the TRP charts for Sun TV.
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.
