From a woman in rural Bengal, who inspires village girls to play football, to an industrialist who takes legacy forward with new age ideas, nine individuals – who have impacted the lives of scores – were honoured with the Anandabazar.com Bochhorer Best awards, hosted at ITC Sonar on July 24. More than just fame, the awards recognised purpose-driven work with real impact. The fifth edition of Bochhorer Best paid tribute to the remarkable journeys of performers, sportspersons, mentors and innovators.
The ceremony opened with an address by Aveek Sarkar. “Every time I present these awards, I feel a spark of hope — a belief that the future holds promise, and that there are many talented individuals whose names are still unknown to most. Through this initiative, we aim to show that Bengal is not without gems. Our mission is to bring Bengalis closer to their fellow talents and shine a light on the gems among us.”
The first award of the evening went to Bharati Mudi from Jangalmahal, a tribal, sari-clad football player and coach. Her coaching journey, which began in 2009, continues to this day. From remote villages to city grounds, she continues to guide young girls toward their dreams — one game at a time.
Ritabrata Munshi, a mathematician at the Indian Statistical Institute, was honoured for his quest to explain and prove everything through mathematical principles — including the existence of God. When asked if he identified as an atheist, he responded, “God is not well-defined. Mathematicians work with numbers. We try to explain with numbers. So, if god is there, we shall prove it with numbers.”
There was a time when Bengalis were known for making films well off the beaten track. That flavour is somewhat lost in the films made today. Filmmaker Abhinandan Banerjee seeks to change that. Banerjee won the award for his film Manikbabur Megh (The Cloud and the Man). When asked to pick between Mrinal Sen and Satyajit Ray — a question no Bengali takes lightly — he chose Ray without hesitation. The film was officially selected for screening at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2022.
The sound of water echoes through his paintings. In Paresh Maity’s vivid world of art, even a lone yellow taxi finds a place. Born in Tamluk, Maity was honoured with the Bochhorer Best award for his remarkable contribution to watercolour painting. Receiving the honour dressed in a self-designed outfit, Maity was felicitated by painter Jogen Chowdhury and Shipra Bandopadhyay, trustee member of EIILM Kolkata.
The only Bengali footballer who regularly features in the Indian national team, Subhasish Bose, captain of Mohun Bagan Super Giants, received the Bochhorer Best award from actress Koel Mallick and cricketer Anustup Majumdar. With a career representing top clubs and the national team, he is considered a flagbearer to the legacy left behind by Gostha Pal. When asked about Sunil Chhetri’s return to football and whether he would do the same, Bose replied, “There’s still time; currently, my focus is on playing and winning trophies.”
Historian, activist, speaker and author, Tithi Bhattacharya, was awarded for her latest book, Ghostly Past, History of Fear in Colonial Bengal. Bhattacharya is renowned for her work as a Marxist feminist and activist.
Scientist Ananda Sankar Bandopadhyay was recognised for his outstanding achievements in developing a vaccine for polio. He was honoured with the Bochhorer Best award by actor Tota Roy Chowdhury and singer-songwriter Anupam Roy.
When asked about India being polio-free, he said, “The risk remains, as the virus knows no borders. We must remain vigilant.” On whether he plans to return to India, he replied, “My dream is to work alongside musician AR Rahman. Though I don’t know how to sing, I would love to collaborate with him — that would be a reason for me to come back.”
Actress Tillotama Shome first gained recognition with Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001), and has since been known for her work in films like Shanghai, Lust Stories, Delhi Crime, Tooth Pari and Pataal Lok Season 2. She received the Bochhorer Best Award for her exceptional range and talent. Though her work in Kolkata has been limited, her performances in Taasher Desh and Konkona Sen’s A Death in the Gunj have been critically acclaimed. She has also made a notable impact internationally with Italo Spinelli’s Gangor.
The final award of the evening, recognising significant contributions across industries — power, chemicals, FMCG, retail, music and sports — was presented to Sanjiv Goenka, founder and chairman of RPSG Group. The honour was presented to him by Aveek Sarkar.
The emcees for the evening were actress Paoli Dam and Anindya Jana, editor of Anandabazar.com.
In a departure from her usual style, the evening also featured Usha Uthup captivating the audience with soulful renditions of devotional songs dedicated to Lord Shiva.
