Joining hands in this celebration were our dedicated sponsors – Our title sponsor VBJ, co-presented by SSVM institutions, Associate Sponsors -Medimix, Tamil Matrimony, Prestige Group and Continental Extra Coffee.
To begin with the stage was beaming with glory and of course, the beautiful LED lighting just made the setup more enthralling.
With this niche setup and an impressive guestlist, JFW hosted the prestigious 11th edition of its VBJ JFW Awards on August 31st 2019 at Sir Mutha Venkata Subbarao Hall in Chennai.
This year, the celebrated women awardees Simran, Saalumarada Thimmakka,Dr.Vyjayanthimala Bali, K.S. Chithra, Meenakshi Vijayakumar, Nikhat Zareen, Rashmika Mandanna, Narthaki Nataraj and Mana Anandavel were felicitated for the excellence in their area of expertise.
The hosts of the evening were Bhavana Balakrishnan and Ma Ka Pa Anand who simply lit up the atmosphere with their quirkiness and wit. Their questions were very engaging and they made every interaction with the awardee and presenter very intriguing.
About the awardees:
1. Vyjayanthimala Bali
Veteran actress, classical dancer, singer, choreographer and parliamentarian – this is Vyjayanthimala, South India’s artistic pride. The legendary actress received the Lifetime Achievement award for her contribution in Cinema and dance. She was presented with the award by none other than Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan himself. It was truly a rare moment on stage!
2. K.S. Chithra
K S Chithra is a name synonymous to the world of Indian playback music. Born into a musically gifted family, the art was always in her blood and in her destiny. She was officially ushered into the film music world in 1979 in Malayalam cinema. She has been unstoppable with over 25,000 songs sung ever since. This legend was presented with the award for Excellence in Music by the evergreen actress Ambika. She further mesmerised the audience with her stellar performance of the song ‘Malargal Keten’ from ‘OK Kanmani.
3. Simran
The Golden girl of the 90s and 2000s in South Indian cinema…Simran marked her spotlight even as a debutante with her magnetic performances in ‘Once More’ and ‘VIP’. From then up until Petta, Simran has been every generation’s true love and inspiration. This bundle of talent bagged the award for Excellence in Cinema. The award was presented to her by Director Siruthai Siva and Mr. Jithendra Vummidi, Managing Partner, VBJ. Apart from that, the actress was seen shaking a leg with the hosts of the evening, Bhavana Balakrishnan and Ma Ka Pa Anand to the tunes of her racy song ‘Aalthotta Bhoopathi’.
4. Thimmakka
She was truly the star of the evening! 107-year-old Saalumarada Thimmakka has planted 8,000 trees with 400 of them being 70-year-old Banyan trees, isn’t she truly mother nature. This legendary woman was presented with the award for Excellence in Social Service for her incredible contribution to the environment. The award was presented by an actor who thrives hard to create awareness about the environment – Vivek and Ms. Manimegalai Mohan, Managing Trustee, SSVM Institutions. She received a standing ovation as she collected the award.
5. Meenakshi Vijayakumar
Meenakshi Vijaykumar wears her police uniform with pride and purpose. Coming from a lineage of family members in administrative roles, public service is nothing new for her. She began her stint as Divisional Fire Officer for 6 years in Chennai, with over 400 fire and rescue calls to her credit. This braveheart, who dedicated her award to the Jawaans who lost their lives during the Pulwama Attack, received it for her Excellent contribution towards Public service. The award was presented by actress Rohini and Ms. Sai Chithra, Chief portal and mobile officer, Tamil Matrimony.
6. Narthaki Nataraj
For Narthaki, her love for Bharatanatyam became her life right from her childhood. Besides being a Padma Shri recipient, she has been granted distinctive honours such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar Award from the President of India, the title of Nrithya Choodamani, and the Kalaimamani title from the government of Tamil Nadu, among other accolades. This beautiful dancer received the very first award of the evening for Excellence in Performing Arts from the multi-faceted actor Parthiban.
7. Nikhat Zareen
At only 23, Nikhat Zareen, is already a dominant force inside the boxing ring and a strong role model outside. In 2010, she earned her first title as ‘Golden Best Boxer’ at a national tournament. After a string of wins at various international tournaments, her recent win was the silver at the Thailand Open Boxing Championship. Nikhat received the award for Excellence in Sports from actress Rohini and Mr. Bharath Nehru, Regional Manager, TTK Prestige Limited.
8. Rashmika Mandanna
She may be called the ‘Karnataka Crush’, but Rashmika has won the hearts of the entire South Indian cinema today. Her first film ‘Kirik Party’ in 2016, was an instant commercial success. She has been a sensation ever since winning the heart of every film industry across South. The Geetha Govindham actress bagged the Sensation of the Year award which was presented by Actor and music director GV Prakash along with Mr. Preetam Patnaik, Head of Marketing, Continental Xtra Coffee.
9. Mana Anandavel
No hurdle is too big for this Queen of the Tracks. Mana Anandvel was all of 46 when she stepped into the sports arena, but has never taken her eyes off the finish line since then. First taking on shot put and discus throw, she soon branched out to hammer throwand track events.Since 2008, she has always won a medal from every event she participated in at both the national and international levels. This sportswoman received the Special Recognition award in Sports from Bigg Boss fame actor Arav. The two gym enthusiasts showed the audience some solid moves.
Performances:
First came the enthralling musical medley by singers Ranjith, Aalap and band giving the audience a mix of melodies and racy songs.
Then came a terrific dance sequence performed by Bigg Boss fame, actress and dancer Abhirami Venkatachalam with high energy and attitude. She grooved to the tunes of Hayati and Singapenney to name a few.
The Awards night was a huge success with a huge crowd waiting to see their favourite stars and inspirational women.
The supporting partners for the event were: Radio Partner – Fever FM and Hospitality Partner – Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai.
