Devi Awards Kolkata 2024: Saluting the Devis

After a glittering and high voltage debut in 2019, and equally successful second and third editions in 2022 and 2023, where 15 and 12 women respectively were awarded for their path-breaking contributions to their professions and also impacting society positively, the Devi Awards was back this year at the ITC Royal Bengal to felicitate 13 more such dynamic women.

The vision of the Devi Awards was to recognise the contributions of women from all walks of life who have triumphed in their respective fields and uplifted fellow women and men alike as they went along. After 18 editions in Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Lucknow and Chennai, the Devi Awards, conceived in 2014, came to Kolkata for the first time on August 31, 2019 to celebrate women achievers from Kolkata and the East. 

This year’s recipients included singer Barnali Chattopadhyay, actor-trainer Daminee Benny Basu, dance exponent Priti Patel, artist Sanhita, actor Subhashree Ganguly, fashion designer Pallavi Singhee, filmmaker Sarmistha Maiti, heritage conservationist Mukul Agarwal, mental health advocate Dr Minu Budhia, alternative medicine practitioner Dr Pritee Ganatra, idol maker Mala Paul, actor Preeti Panigrahi, and animal welfare activist Titas Mukherjee.

The programme began by observing a two-minute silence in honour of the deceased doctor, who was recently raped and brutally murdered while on duty at a state hospital in Kolkata. Former Union Minister Smriti Irani, who was the chief guest, also fielded questions with panache during a meaningful conversation with Kaveree Bamzai, senior journalist of The New Indian Express Group. Addressing the dark times looming over the city which is currently witnessing massive civil protests for justice, she paved the way for hope and resilience by reiterating her learnings in life. Smriti expressed, “I think that not every battle can be won. But what you can do is walk away from a battle with a human heart throbbing and your values intact. When you walk away from the battle and your competitor still has the respect, that’s an achievement.”

The award ceremony was an eclectic showcase of powerhouse talents. Kolkata at least hasn’t seen so many accomplished women unite under one roof in a while, and that too on a platform celebrating them. The recipients received their awards from Prabhu Chawla and Smriti Irani and opened up about their success stories. 

Actor Subhashree Ganguly mentioned, “I’m honoured and grateful but again we are coming back to that point, not happy. We all are broken. So today, definitely, I’m happy to receive this award but I cannot celebrate this.”

Daminee Benny Basu used the forum to reiterate the fire of the Devi which is instilled in each one of us. She said, “I have a Devi award in one hand and in my other hand there’s an invisible can of worms. But still, I would like to believe that my city is not broken. This is the right time to open the dialogue and talk about things which are problematic. Kar Shapath… Kar Shapath... Kar Shapath…”

Barnali Chattopadhyay won over the audience through mesmerising vocals from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2024 period drama television series Heeramandi. She expressed, “Thank you. It’s a very special day for me and at the same time, I have a heavy heart. I spread happiness through my music all over the world.”

Fashion Designer Pallavi Singhee opened up about how the city inspired her works. “Calcutta is a land of heritage and culture. There is so much history and art here. It’s a place filled with inspiration and that’s how it inspires me.”

Some of the noteworthy attendees at the Devi Awards were artists Shuvaprasanna and Sipra Bhattacharya, sculptor and artist Narayan Sinha, Sahibzada Humayun Ali Mirza, industrialist Sanjay Budhia, Dr Rupali Basu, actors Ushashi Ray, Ekavalli Khanna; Lahoma Bhattacharya, Priyanka Mondal, Susmita Chatterjee, Tanika, Sayantani, Sanghasree, Richa Sharma and Adolina Ganguly; designers, Abhishek Dutta, Kanaklata Datta, scenographer Swarup Dutta, dancer Sudarshan Chakravorty, producers Suven Kumar Das and Firdausal Hassan, music composer Indraadip Dasgupta; and inter-disciplinary artiste Sujoy Prasad Chatterjee among others.  

This year, the Adani Group was the Presenting Partner of the glittering event and the Associate Partners were Senco Gold and Diamonds, and Life Insurance Corporation of India. The Celebration Partner was Radico Khaitan, the Gifting Partners were Ahujasons, and Auli Active Ayurveda, and the Outdoor Partner was Selvel One.