we are celebrating with Indulge, The Morning Standard’s Devi Awards. They comprise women from diverse fields and professions in Kolkata, who shine bright despite the odds. As the Devi Awards return for the fourth time to the City of Joy on August 16, 2024.
Born in Varanasi and growing up in an environment surrounded by music, it wasn’t unnatural for classical singer Barnali Chattopadhyay to be inclined toward singing. With formal training in music starting when she was only three, Barnali had no doubt what she wanted to be in life. Having spent 27 years learning from the late Girija Devi of the Benaras Gharana, and a few more years learning from the late Shobha Gurtu of the Jaipur Gharana, Barnali had a fabulous Hindi OTT musical debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Heeramandi that has put the spotlight firmly on her. Her mesmerising renditions like Saiyaan, and Phool Gendwa, from the series have set Barnali’s foot firmly in the Bollywood terrain, as she gears up to embrace all that lies ahead in her musical career.
Priti Patel was initiated into the world of dance at the age of five and received training from eminent Manipuri dance gurus, Late Guru Bipin Singh and the Jhaveri Sisters. She then went on to take lessons in the pre-Vaishnavite dance forms of Thang-ta and Lai Haraoba, the martial and ritualistic forms of the Manipuri dance traditions respectively. With the intention of imparting education in this unique dance tradition, she laid the foundation of a school called Anjika in Kolkata in 1995, which has a dual curriculum that includes movement therapy for children suffering from cerebral palsy. The graceful dance exponent, who is also a Fullbright Fellow, has received several honours including the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
There are very few artists across the world who can reprise life on screen as naturally as it happens in reality. Daminee Benny Basu is one of them. Raised on stage by two revered theatre practitioners -- Asit and Bhadra Basu -- Daminee has devised her life in such a clever way that she is never actually away from her art. She is either teaching students or acting. Her latest act as Sabitri Mondal in Indranil Roychowdhury’s debut Bengali web show Chotolok left the audience in awe. The gritty actor, who prefers quality over quantity, has also been seen in Kaushik Ganguly’s hit films, Ardhangini, and Jesthoputro, as well as Indrasis Acharya’s Parcel. Thoroughly trained in the Eric Morris System of Beyond-Method acting, by Eric Morris himself, in Hollywood, Daminee is accredited by the International Coaching Federation and is a guest faculty at the National School of Drama, Delhi, and IIM – Calcutta.
A filmmaker, and an alumna of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), India, Sarmistha Maiti received her first National Film Award for the feature-length documentary film At the Crossroads Nondon Bagchi Life and Living at the 61st National Film Awards, 2013. Sarmistha has written and directed several documentary films, short fiction films, PSAs, Animation, and New Media films. Last year, her debut full-length feature film, Kalkokkho Also Called House of Time, co-directed by Rajdeep Paul bagged the award for the Best Bengali Film at the National Film Awards 2023. Now ready with her second film, Mon Potongo, Sarmistha's unique and impactful content for cinema has only just begun.Picture of Versatility
Since her win in a reality series in 2006, Subhashree Ganguly has built her acting career with hard work and tenacity. Not one to give up, the beautiful actor ruled the box office with superhit films like Challenge, Poran Jai Jaliya Re, Boss, Khokababu, among others. The actor further developed her skills and started exploring more meaningful cinema where she made a noticeable impact with her performances in films like Parineeta, Dharmajuddha, Boudi Canteen and Habji Gabji. Subhasree won the award for the Best Actor Female Critics, Regional, at the Streaming Academy Awards (SIIMA), for her outstanding OTT debut act in the web series Indubala Bhaater Hotel. Subhashree’s powerful and emotive depiction of Indubala resonated deeply with viewers, cementing her status as a versatile and talented actor. She will soon be seen in Raj Chakraborty’s upcoming film Babli besides other projects.
A radical amalgamation of traditional heritage and modern elements, Pallavi Singhee’s 13-year-old label Verb represents the constant state of flux that the fashion world is in, but with a timeless twist to the same. The Kolkata-based designer, who has been worn by such Bollywood celebrities as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Taapsee Pannu and Rakul Preet Singh among others, is hailed for making clothes that are seasonless and can be worn years later without the risk of being outdated. Swish and stylish with an element of funk added to them, her designs are always about heritage, culture and diversity of styles and fabrics put across in a playful manner.
Founder-Trustee of Calcutta Heritage Collective, Mukul Agarwal, studied architecture at CEPT, Ahmedabad. There was always a natural bent towards architecture of all kinds -- traditional and contemporary. Living in Kolkata, she was intrigued by the beautiful structures built in the 19th and 20th centuries. She felt she needed to give back to her city by preserving and finding ways of adaptive reuse of the built heritage. That apart she recently stepped up to manage two family hotels in Goa and Jaipur. Mukul is also the former President of the Ladies Study Group and part of the recently formed five-member National Council of Ladies Study Group.
Psychotherapist, author, and TEDx speaker, Dr Minu Budhia is the Founder of Caring Minds International (Institute of Mental Health & OPD Clinic), ICanFlyy International School and ICanFlyy Tea Kafi. As part of her outreach programmes, she has personally conducted awareness workshops for over 45,000 people across schools, colleges, socio-cultural organisations, corporate organisations, the police, the army, the navy, airport officials, and more; written as a columnist in leading newspapers; published her first memoir Death of a Caterpillar and is currently writing her second book; and presented research papers across national psychiatric conferences. As a mental health advocate and pioneering force for change, Dr Minu Budhia has been working tirelessly for over 15 years, dedicating her life to providing accessible mental health services.
Dr Pritee Ganatra, a certified medical practitioner specialising in alternative medicine for over 20 years, has a number of qualifications. Her wide knowledge and experience allow her to adopt both individual as well as hybrid treatment methods across Chinese Acupuncture, Electro Acupuncture, Cosmetic Acupuncture, Auricular Acupuncture, and Detoxification among others, to suit the needs of each individual. Recognised as the Sujok Practitioner of the year in 2011, she has treated thousands of patients, across age groups and backgrounds, including celebrities, for multiple ailments including neurological disorders, diabetes, thyroid, hypertension, and spinal problems. Her clinic is often the last hope for many serious medical cases, including post-Covid and post-cancer therapy complications.
Sanhita has dedicated her life to the philosophies of Baul. She not only celebrates Baul philosphy through her paintings, but also lives the philosophy. A painter, her creations are inspired by the ethos of Sanatan Dharma. Having spent over 15 years with the Baul Fakirs, she intends to spend the rest of her life in their vicinity, in a serene ashram in Birbhum, called Golok Riverside Retreat on the banks of Ajoy river in Joydeb Kenduli. She is also a part of TarkataZ, a creative organisation that specializes in art-led CSR strategies.
Mala Paul started making small idols form the age of 14 at her family studio despite the reservation of her father and family elders. It was only in 1986, when her father passed away, that Mala started assisting her brother in idol-making. Soon after, she was invited by the National Handicrafts and Handloom Museum to make two Durga idols and one Kali idol. Later, the museum authorities also enrolled her in an advanced painting course and she returned to Kolkata after six months of training. A recipient of several awards, Mala specialises in miniature, small and foldable idols and also runs a training school, called Mala Paul er Thakur Gorar Pathshaala to keep the art of idol-making alive, with 42 students currently under her wings. Right now, she is working on a two-foot tall fibre Durga idol, which will fly to the US soon.
Titas Mukherjee is an animal welfare activist, who co-founded Animal Rescue and Care, a shelter cum hospital for rescued and homeless dogs, cats and birds in 2014. The main objective of the organisation is to create a better world for our voiceless friends by spreading awareness among people and sensitizing them, so that humans live in harmony with the lesser privileged species and defend their right to life. With countless helpless animals rescued by her for over a decade, Titas has about 150 animals currently in the shelter. She undertakes numerous rescue operations and primarily works in the interiors of Diamond Harbour, Joka, and Thakurpukur area of Behala in Kolkata
A student of animation at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata, young actor Preeti Panigrahi played the lead character Mira in the 2024 Sundance Award-winning film, Girls Will be Girls, for which she won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for acting. A recipient of the National Bal Shree Honour by the Human Resource Development Ministry of India for her excellence in the field of theatre in 2015, Preeti is making her own animated short film and aspires to make a mark in filmmaking, embracing any role that allows her to bring stories to life.