Mira Nair, the famous Indian director of acclaimed films like monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, Mississippi Masala and Salaam Bombay is honored by the India Abroad Person of the Year 2007, on March 28.
The award was presented by Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and CEO, Pepsi, and India Abroad Person of the Year 2006 at a glittering ceremony held at the Gotham Hall in New York City.
Nooyi said while discussing her contribution to cinema and community that she had captured a special space for herself.
Nair reached New York to receive the award after a week-long trip to Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Toronto, Canada, where she will shoot her next film Amelia, starring Hillary Swank.
Her husband Mahmud Mamdani, a professor at Columbia University, was present on the occasion while only child Zohran, on whose insistence actor Kal Penn was selected for The Namesake, could not make it.
Nair paid her regards to all those mothers and women who inspired her.
Hosted by Columbia Professor Sreenath Sreenivasan, the evening began with Ajit Balakrishnan, publisher of India Abroad, the oldest Indian-American weekly, owned by rediff.com, lauding the winners and the Indian-American community’s achievements.
The awards ceremony was attended by diplomats, artistes, high ranking professionals, businessmen and stalwarts of the community. It was held at the stately Gotham Hall, formerly the headquarters of Greenwich Savings Bank, which hosted an event honoring soccer legend Pele and tennis great Boris Becker last week.
The legendary Economist Padma Desai and his husband Jagdish Bhagwati were chosen for India Abroad Lifetime Achievement Award from writer Salman Rushdie, winner of the same award last year.
Dr Renu Khator, President and Chancellor of the University of Houston, was awarded the India Abroad Publisher’s Special Award for Excellence.
India Abroad Youth Achiever 2007 award was given to 24 year old Somdev Burman. He is the first Indian to win the prestigious US collegiate tennis title.
Award for Service to the Community was given to Naveen Shah and Joy Cherian.
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