KVP Awardees 2008-09

Artistes for change KVP - Dance

Geeta Chandran

Dancer Geeta Chandran is a role model in the arts of social responsibility. Even while she upholds the pristine classicism of Bharatanatyam, she has ventured to make her dance relevant in both- the way she teaches the dance and in the way she performs it. She is the founder of Natya Vriksha, an institution that enshrines the highest value of Indian culture. Currently over hundred students, including some from deprived backgrounds are being trained in classical dance at Natya Vriksha. Geeta has constantly striven to create new space for the classical dancer of today. She continuously attempts to raise and spread social issues through her classical dance performances around the country and world to reach out to young audience and spread awareness and concern. She raised and highlighted issues like female infanticide, issues of stigma and discrimination in society, issues like terrorism, traumatizing children, discrimination based on caste and religion in society etc. Geeta Chandran leverages her position as a society leader and a role model.

Artistes for change KVP - Music

Gautam Ghosh

Gautam Ghosh worked with Bangladesh's leading Bengali-Rock vocalist Mac (Maqsood -al-Haq) from the most famous band in Dhaka called Feedback, on the country's 25th independence anniversary and the album went on to become a mega hit. In 1997, his songs "fifty-fifty" and "ley sunn ley" from his human rights private album called "OPEN YOUR EYES" were labelled 'anti-establishment'. In 2001 he was appointed an honorary Human Rights Ambassador by the British Council and brand ambassador by ACTION AID INDIA. Under the British Council's program on Human Rights, he toured UK and Europe with his songs and participated in the most prestigious Edinburgh Festival 2001, Notting Hill fest 2001 and the Bastille Day fest 2001 in Paris. The Gautam Ghosh collective has been promoting 9/11 every year as the Global ONEness Day, which began as the Sadbhavna (ONEness) movement with MTV and other partners in 2002.

Ritika Sahni

Ritika has an exciting dual career -as a playback & pop singer and as a social activist. She not only sings as a professional, but also converges her talents towards the cause of disability. Being an active social worker as well as a disability activist, she is on the board of trustees of the NGO 'SAHAY' and is associated with similar organizations and people working in this field within the country and abroad. She is the secretary-trustee of her own welfare trust called TRINAYANI. She holds regular workshops for teachers, parents and students on disability related issues. Ritika was also a Consulting Communication Therapist in the UNICEF project (2001-2003), undertaken by The Spastics Society Of India, and presently is a faculty member of their university affiliated Teacher Training Course on Special Education, which is also recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India. She is presently working on a series of books, which try to take a small step towards erasing the lines between "us" and "them" through stories, character sketches of people with disabilities, and information handbooks that sensitize people to disability issues.

Bobby Cash

In these days of culture blending, Asian Indian Bobby Cash is a unique musician who has proved to the world that music knows no boundaries and that indeed it is a language that brings together people from different lands and cultures. Bobby Cash is India's only Country Music Artist, he bears the honor of being the first Indian ever to release albums of Country Music. It was in Tamworth in 2003, that Bobby came to the World Stage. Starting with busking in the street, Bobby became the smash hit of the festival, drawing huge crowds to him. His documentary film has appeared on ABC Television Network, Discovery and other channels and has won Bobby many admirers. In 2005, Nashville called, after Bobby Cash was nominated in the Global Artist category by the CMA, where Bobby got a standing ovation from the President of the CMA, Ed Benson. Bobby has played at some of the top venues in Nashville, appeared on WSM Midnite Jamboree at E.T. Troubadour Theatre, and other places including Billy Bobs in Dallas, Fort Worth. This outstanding best selling Independent, continues to spread his music, proving to the world that music indeed is a common language.

Artistes for change - Theatre

Lushin Dubey

Lushin Dubey, apart from being a well known theatre personality, has a masters of science in education, a four year degree, with emphasis on special education. She taught special needs and mentally challenged children in the US and at the American Embassy School in India.
She is involved in two theatre companies - Kidsworld and 'Theatre World', which she actively runs. 'Kidsworld' pioneered youth theatre in India. Under the banner of her group theatre world, she has acted and directed social issue driven plays which have been performed many times in cities in India and overseas. Plays such as the 'The Life of Gautama Buddha' emphasise the need for peace and compassion in a war torn world, while 'Untitled' and 'Bitter Chocolate' are based on the complex issues of women's empowerment and child sexual abuse. These were followed with 'Muskaan', a production on HIV in India, conceived, produced and directed by her. With sponsors like The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and Dr. Yusuf Hameid (the owner of Cipla Medicines ), this play highlights the message that 'Life is a gift and must be lived'. Her recent production, 'Salaam India' inspires us to hold our heads up ramrod straight and say with pride, 'We are Indians, and proud to be who we are'.
Besides theatre of social relevance, Lushin has acted in 7 films. In Nov 2006, she won the Gemini award in Toronto, the equivalent of the Emmy in Canada for her role as Kuldeep in the film, 'Murder Unveiled', a film on honour killing and its horrors. In the month of July 2008 Lushin Dubey got "Best Stage Actor" from 'The Senior Journalist Association Award 2008' by the Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs. Shiela Dixit.

Arvind Gaur

Arvind Gaur is the face of socially and politically relevant theatre today. Some of the core issues he deals with are Communalism, Caste Issues, Feudalism, Domestic Violence, Crime of State, Politics of Power, Violence, Injustice, Social Discrimination, Marginalization and Racism. This prolific theatre director has organized many theatre workshops for children in schools, slums and on the Street. In last 15 years he directed 52 plays with Asmita, collaborated with various theatre artists and worked with several organizations and forums. According to him, "Theatre has a purpose of awakening the audience to contemporary issue and creating a dialogue on prevailing social problems."

Artistes 4 change KVP - Film

Kajol

The endearing Indian actress, Kajol has several bees on her bonnet right now. Besides the fact that she is a professional, a wife and a mother, she also works side by side on her dream project - of opening an orphanage for deprived children in Mumbai. Her association with the deprived is a multifaceted one - Kajol is also the goodwill ambassador and patron of the UK based Loomba Trust, a charity devoted to educating widow's children, particularly in India. Attended by Kajol, the annual Diwali dinner organized by the trust raised 150,000 GBP for charity to provide scholarships for the children of poor widows in India.

Kids 4 Change KVP

Aradhna Chhachhi

She's the 11-year-old protagonist her friends rely on when they need to raise a voice to right any wrong. Whether it is selling greeting cards and lemonade for underprivileged children, admonishing passers by who hit stray dogs without reason, or issues that divide India into two countries - the urban, where Aradhna lives, and the rural, where girls are not respected as human beings - Aradhna takes each up as actively. Currently Aradhna is preparing for a skit on the girl child marriage with 5 other friends, where she leads as the narrator of the skit, telling her classmates about orthodox laws and superstitions that do not give the girl child the opportunities and rights to study and enjoy their childhood. Apart from taking on pet causes, Aradhna enjoys watching movies, listening to music and playing with her golden Labrador, Joshua.

Professional Citizen KVP

Madhu Bhatnagar

As Deputy Head of the Shri Ram School, Madhu has charted out a clear course and laid emphasis on Education for Sustainable Development. She has created various initiatives like the zero garbage zone, water conservation and air pollution monitoring. Her endeavor is to change the attitude of children and the adult community towards the world. By her reckoning, "The world can look after itself - only if we stop harming it." She has dedicated her life to shaping young minds and hearts early, so that they grow to love, respect and protect nature.

Shrenik Rao

Shrenik is the Founder and Creative Director of Dolsun Media. He is a keen environmental activist who has made a positive and meaningful contribution through his work and deeds. He has championed the need to plant trees, save the environment and fight global warming by his extraordinary environmental initiative -the 'TreeCycle'. Dolsun Media has documented the ride and is in the process of making a documentary to raise awareness about environmental issues. His action exemplifies an extraordinary citizen initiative and has set a precedent for civic engagement

Media Citizen KVP - Print

Umesh Anand

Umesh Anand is a journalist by profession. His last assignment was as the Resident Editor of the Times of India in Delhi. Umesh conceptualized Civil Society, a monthly magazine that was launched to track Indian change leaders. Through this venture, he has helped spread new ideas on green business, water, organic farming, alternative models in health and education, innovative use of information technology and traditional knowledge.

Rita Anand

A teacher by profession, Rita Anand switched to being a researcher and reporter on social issues in the nineties. Rita conceptualized Civil Society, a monthly magazine that was launched to track Indian change leaders. She has worked with the Centre for Science and Environment, the Women's Feature Service and has studied urban slums and reproductive health under a Panos fellowship. She has built a loyal, national readership, thereby proving that Indians value free media and serious content.

Media Citizen KVP- Filmmaker(Mainstream)

Pritish Nandy

Pritish Nandy began as a poet at the age of 16. In a decade, he had published 40 books and received a Padma Shri. Mr. Nandy was a Member of Parliament for 6 years, from 1998 till 2004. His outstanding work in heritage and restoration won him the UNESCO Heritage Award in 2006. A majority of the movies he directs are based on social issues. He has showcased and highlighted myriad social stigmas and social evils to the audiences through his films.

Media Citizen KVP-Filmmaker (Contemporary Issues)

Bhavna Talwar

A filmmaker striving to create a difference, Bhavna is the director of 'Dharm' - a story about a Hindu Pandit priest accidently adopting a Muslim child who challenges the very core of the priest's belief system. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has commented that the film will go a long way to help create a secular nation.

Media Citizen KVP-Filmmaker (Documentary)

Nitin Das

A documentary filmmaker by profession, Nitin Das has created a niche for himself by addressing an issue of immediate international concern. His film on global warming is unique because it focuses on the solution rather than the problem. It offers a simple and effective way for every individual to make a difference. Films are a very powerful medium to reach out to the masses and change mindsets, and Nitin strives to do exactly that. The film has been on the main campaign page of the Billion Tree Campaign, seeing over 50,000 page hits every month. The film has also been screened in a number of conferences on Climate Change and Environment.

Akanksha Joshi

Akanksha Joshi is an emerging new talent in the field of documentary film making. She took on a project in January 2004, documenting a Satyagrah march in Orissa. The issue was Land Rights struggles across the state. She began to make a film on Chilika - Asia's largest brackish water lake, India's largest coastal lake and the largest wintering grounds for migratory birds in the sub-continent. In many ways, it can be said that this was the beginning of her 'love affair' with the lake and her people. She showcased violence, land grabbing, murders, and corruption - at every rung of the business around Chilika. She highlighted not a 'mainstream' or a 'hot' issue, but a very important one. By choosing an issue of global concern, she has made an everlasting impact on the viewers' minds.

Media Citizen KVP- Filmmaker(Short Films)

SWATI D'SOUZA

This young student at the SIES College, Mumbai has been making socially relevant films for a year now. Her first film focused on the need for eunuchs to be appeased and treated as a part of the society. Her second film was based on female feticide - portraying how a pregnant woman puts her foot down and resolves to give birth to her girl child by choosing not to bow down to societal pressure. Swati hopes to go a long way in seconding social causes that require immediate attention.

Sehej Mantri

This young student at the SIES College, Mumbai has been making socially relevant films for a year now. His first film focused on the need for eunuchs to be appeased and treated as a part of the society. His second film was based on female feticide - portraying how a pregnant woman puts her foot down and resolves to give birth to her girl child by choosing not to bow down to societal pressure. Sehej hopes to go a long way in seconding social causes that require immediate attention.

Sheetal Bhan

This young student at the SIES College, Mumbai has been making socially relevant films for a year now. His first film focused on the need for eunuchs to be appeased and treated as a part of the society. His second film was based on female feticide - portraying how a pregnant woman puts her foot down and resolves to give birth to her girl child by choosing not to bow down to societal pressure. Sehej hopes to go a long way in seconding social causes that require immediate attention.

Aalap Deboor

This young student at the SIES College, Mumbai has been making socially relevant films for a year now. His first film focused on the need for eunuchsto be appeased and treated as a part of the society. His second film was based on female feticide - portraying how a pregnant woman puts her foot down and resolves to give birth to her girl child by choosing not to bow down to societal pressure. Aalap hopes to go a long way in seconding social causes that require immediate attention.

Creative and Literary Arts KVP- Author

Vandana Shah

This author believes in the philosophy "Care, Stand up, Do something and make a difference". After participating in the Lead India campaign, she feels she has emerged a stronger and more empowered person. She has initiated the first ever support group in India named '360 degrees back to life' for those going through a breakdown of relationships. She has also actively participated with an NGO that promoted a waste management technique endorsed by the United Nations.

Creative and Literary Arts KVP- Consultant

Mita kapur

Siyahi was founded by Ms. Mita Kapur along with a group of eminent members of the literati, who truly believed in the power of the written word. Ms. Kapur answered her true calling after graduating with honours from the University of Delhi by taking up a career in journalism with a purpose. She has fought relentlessly for the cause of the downtrodden and Dalits, and for cases of domestic child labour abuse. As a part of Siyahi, she doubles up as a literary agent along with conceptualising and directing literary events. She is also Advisor and Senior Consultant for Bookaroo - the first ever children's literature festival in India, being held in collaboration with the German Book Office in November 2008. Other than social and human rights issues, she has written extensively about developmental and environmental issues, along with concerns within the publishing industry. Her commitment to making a difference was made apparent when she single-handedly volunteered and put together an unprecedented Indian International Literary Festival.