Media Citizen KVP - Filmmaker on Contemporary Issues
Mr. Sanjeev Sivan
Sanjeev Sivan was born and brought up in a film environment and he literally has filmmaking in his blood. His love for films as a child acquainted him with different departments of filmmaking. By the time he graduated from New York University; he was actively pursuing a film career as Executive Producer working on projects made under the family banner directed by his father and brothers. These films won numerous awards and were successful at box office. Sanjeev has a distinct style of working and passionately believes in the potential of films to transform lives and build a stronger society. Sanjeev meticulously started directing features and documentaries choosing social issues plaguing the society as the subject to create awareness and contributed towards betterment of society through the medium of films. These films won numerous international, national and state awards. His films are cherished domestically and abroad winning rave reviews from critics and audience alike which portray human side of social issues engaging the audience emotionally to the subject, leaving a lasting impression in the heart of the audience. Sanjeev is filmmaker with a heart, making films with soul, about human emotions and intense stories of people which touches human chord.
Missionary Social Entrepreneur KVP - Female
Ms. Priyanka Malhotra
Priyanka Malhotra is mother to a wheelchair using son and thus she says, “The wearer of the shoe knows when it hurts the most.†She, from her personal experiences as a mother of a disabled child has been inspired to work on disability. After working for more than a decade in Disability Sector, she took the plunge into becoming a social entrepreneur by starting Nipman Foundation that works on the pillars of health, dignity and happiness for the underprivileged children and the disabled. Nipman Foundation also helps in providing wheelchairs and in getting cheap finances so that they become self-employed and live an independent life. She recently presented a report on Disabled Friendly Railways to the ‘Railway Board Restructuringâ€. In the past she has also provided recommendations and worked with the election commission to make the electoral process disabled friendly. Priyanka has also regularly served society through the Inner Wheel Club where she has started the bulletin ‘Our Vision†that received best bulletin award of the District. Her impeccable record with “Our Vision†also resulted in her becoming Editor of the Rotary Noida Souvenir “Navdeepâ€.
Missionary Social Entrepreneur KVP - Male
Mr. Rahul Verghese
Rahul switched gears after 25 year of a marketing career with Unilever, Nestle and Motorola in different parts of the world, fired by a new found passion of running. His goal is to get 200 million people inspired to unleash their potential via running and make this a sustainable movement via pitching this to marketers as an engaging brand activation platform. Rahul has himself now run 51 marathons across 6 continents as he aims to run in the Antarctic in 2016 and his venture, Running And Living Infotainment has now organised over 200 runs across 10 states of the country tying up with Governments, Armed Forces, Police, Corporates, Schools and anyone else to get more people started off in their journey of running. Articles, TV, radio, digital and social media and the runs and personal interaction are ways in which Running And Living reaches 2-3 million households quite regularly and also aids other organisers across the country to manage their first runs and make them a success. Runs have included setting up a school library in a village, sapling plantation drives, giving clothes in winter to underprivileged, cleaning the streets of dry garbage and sensitising runners, among others.
One Vision One World KVP
Ms. Heera Rupani
Heera has been involved with helping those in needs since her days in school where she made bags with recycled paper to raise money for underprivileged children. Her commitment to the concept of “Seva†since childhood led her to be associated with the Sadhu Vaswani Mission. Educating the girl child was always a priority and she has been collecting funds for educating young girls since 1983. She was able to help close to 136 children from Hyderabad get free heart surgery by some of the top physicians of India. Her foray into animal welfare further led her to be associated with the Blue Cross of Hyderabad, where she was the Vice President and Secretary. She started “Jagruti Club†25 years ago where she conducted many fundraising activities to fund a home for children with special needs as well as funding the education of young women. She and her friends got together to form “H.E.L.P†an organization whose goal is to work towards betterment of society. Apart from social service she has an almost unmatchable ability to raise funds for all the causes she supports, from organizing meetings to fundraising events. Her efforts have yielded Rs. 1,60,00,000 in 20 years and Rs. 80,00,000 in 2014.
Professional Citizen KVP - IT (Male)
Mr. Ashwin Karthik
Ashwin established himself as a true achiever from the very moment of his birth. He was born with a deficient supply of oxygen, which resulted in a crippling and life-long condition called cerebral palsy. He is quadriplegic, with the severest form of cerebral palsy that affects all four limbs. But, as though to balance his misfortune, he is blessed with an indomitable spirit and the will to take up impossible challenges of leading and succeeding in a world full of people without disadvantages. From his schools days, Ashwin’s record reflects what he has been striving to do earnestly. In 1999, Ashwin scored 84% in his SSLC exams; the highest percentage ever scored by a student with cerebral palsy. In 2003, he received the National Scholarship for his engineering studies, given to just one physically challenged student across the country. He is the first quadriplegic cerebral palsy student in India to have become an engineering graduate. Today Ashwin is a computer science engineer who works ANZ as a Business Analyst has been the proud recipient of the most prestigious awards such as Helen Keller Award, National award for being Best Employee of India from President of India and many more.
Professional Citizen KVP -Doctor (Female)
Dr. Mitu Khurana
Mitu Khurana is a doctor, a trained paediatrician and a qualified hospital administrator. Throughout their childhood, Mitu and her sister were given all the opportunities to grow and flourish. However marriage exposed her to the stark reality of life of a female in India. She was exposed to the realities of daughter hatred, female foeticide, dowry harassment and domestic violence. When pregnant with twins, she was deceived into a sex determination test, followed by pressures to abort her twin daughters. Mitu left her Matrimonial Home and gave birth to her daughters. A doting mother, Mitu fought hard to give her lovely twin daughters their right to take birth and grow in a Just and enabling environment. She holds the distinction of being the first mother to file a court complainant under the PC&PNDT Act in India. Her struggle has not only encouraged other women to come forward and say no to female foeticide, but also continues to expose the extreme patriarchal attitude of the authorities faced by women who fight back abuse. Her dream is to start a Mass Movement - “Mothers Against Sex Selection (MASS) where mothers start refusing to kill their daughters just for being daughters.
