`Natrang`, `Mee Shivaji Raje...` bag seven `Zee Gaurav awards`

Mumbai: After completing over 50 days of its theatrical run and raking in over Rs seven crore, Marathi movie `Natrang` continued its winning spree by bagging seven `Zee Gaurav` awards, which celebrate the best in the regional theatre and movie world.

While `Mee Shivaji Raje Bhosle Boltoy` bagged the Best Film award `White lily and Night rider` won the award for the Best Play in the commercial section and `Tengshechya Swapnat Train` got the Best Experimental Play award. Ravi Jadhav got the award for the Best Director for `Natarang`, depicting the passion of a pansy play by Atul Kularni for tamasha, the Marathi folk art. The other awards for `Natrang` include Best Music for Ajay and Atul, Best Male Singer for Ajay Gogawale and Best Female Singer Bela Shende. Guru Thakur got the Best Lyricist award for `Khel Mandala...`. Similarly, Kishor Kadam was adjudged Best Supporting Actor, and Fulwa Khamkar Best Choreography for the movie having dance as its theme. Rubbing shoulders with `Natrang` was `Mee Shivaji Raje...`, dealing with quintessential Marathi manoos` tryst with the warrior king set against contemporary background, which too bagged seven awards. The awards included Sachin Khedekar as Best Actor, editing by Sarvesh Parab, art direction by Prashant Rane, Abhishek Viaykar, background score by Ajit-Atul and Sameer, script by Mahesh Manjrekar and Abhijeet Deshpande, and dialogues by Sanjay Pawar and Mahesh Manjrekar. Similarly the Best Actress award was given to Pallavi Joshi for her sensitive portrayal of a woman in distress coping with a personal and professional problems in `Rita`, which was also the directorial debut of Renuka Shahane. Shahir Sable and noted writer S N Navre were honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Awards. The function began on a religious note with the `Ganesh Vandana` by some popular Marathi artists. Sukhwinder Singh also entertained audience with his internationally acclaimed `Jai Ho...` from Danny Boyle`s `Slumdog Millionaire`. Siddharth Jadhav`s `Maharashtrachi Lokdhara` act left everyone spellbound. The audience were in splits by the political satires `Mahacharcha` and `Avishkar Swatantrayche` by some leading Marathi actors. Another popular act of the evening was the lavani by actors Bhargavi Chirmule, Urmila Kanetkar, Girija Oak, Mansi Salvi and Amruta Khanvilkar. The evening ended on a melodious note as national award winning Ajay and Atul enthralled audiences with a song specially composed to celebrate the golden jubilee of Maharashtra. PTI