Honoring Urdu contributors

ETV Award to theatre revivalist Baig and Bollywood lyricist Irshad Kamil also honored

For their contribution and excellence in Urdu in literary and performing arts, ETV presented awards to renowned personalities from lyrics, theatre, poetry, journalism, and literature. Theatre icon Mohammad Ali Baig from Hyderabad, Mumbai’s popular film lyricist of Bollywood Irshad Kamil, humourist Mujtaba Hussain, journalist Zahid Ali Khan (of Siasat Daily) and Vice-Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Prof. Aslam Parvez were presented with the awards and felicitated by the Deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali at the awards ceremony at Taj Banjara.

Speaking on the occasion, Irshad Kamil, known for his popular numbers in ‘Rockstar’, ‘Jab We Met’ and ‘Love Aaj Kal’ said that Urdu is the language of love and Bollywood is not complete with Urdu, whether it is in their scripts, dialogues or songs.

Mohammad Ali Baig, conferred the Padmashri for his theatre revival, in his address said, “Only when you take pride in your own mother tongue that you could preserve it with passion and dedication. Most of the time, we Indians take our mother tongues for granted, unlike the French and Russians.”

The Dy CM Mahmood Ali noted the thankless contribution of the awardees to the language and culture and said that the Government will do whatever for development of Urdu in the state as it is the only Urdu-speaking Government in the state since 1957 and after the Nizam’s rule.