The Aparajita awards ceremony was held recently to celebrate women achievers in diverse fields such as sport, cinema, and business. The felicitation ceremony held at JW Marriott, Kolkata, acknowledged the contributions by exemplary women in Bengal from various walks of life ensuring that their achievements do not go unrecognised.

The glitz and glamour of the award ceremony was framed by the expansive ballroom in which patrons from all spheres joined together to celebrate and recognise the acumen of strong, powerful and influential women.

The awards were given from among 14 categories with two winners for each category — Veteran & Young Achiever, based on votes that were accrued online over a fortnight conducted by the Sanmarg website with 4, 96,145 votes recorded this year.

The special categories consisted of talented women like actors Nandita Das and Rani Mukherji who were awarded for their ingenuity and excellence in their respective fields. Mukherji was given the “Pride of Bengal” award for her formidable acting career. Actors Swastika Mukherjee and Rituparna Sengupta were both awarded for their exemplary performances in cinema representing the city in their achievements.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Nabaneeta Dev Sen for her influence in literature and poetry as she stands as a beacon and inspiration for all aspiring novelists and writers. “Be a complete drop in the ocean. Live and let live-that is what I want all women to know,” said Das on accepting her award for You Inspire-Ingenuity.

Das also spoke about how she is consistently asked about what it is that she actually does — whether it is directing or acting or scriptwriting to which she answered that she should not have to choose any one sphere but can be commendable in all. Her take on life is that there is enough time to pursue what we love and that award ceremonies such as this are a “pat on her back” that she is moving in the right direction.

Naina Lal Kidwai, the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School was awarded the You Inspire-Power Woman award for her business acumen. She chose to celebrate the award by honouring those women who like her have had the privilege of being so successful.

Her award was dedicated to all those women who have made their way through the diverse odds in life and have come up on top. It is through ceremonies like this that the awareness and empowerment of women can be an inspiration to all.