All India Kaifi Azmi Academy gave 3 awards plus a purse of Rs 1 lac each to
Dr Rakshanda Jalil – contribution to Urdu
Prof Ravi Verma – contribution to Hindi
Nadira Zaheer Babbar – contribution to Theatre.
Chief Guest Hon. Chief Minister of UP Akhilesh Yadav paid glowing tributes to Kaifi Azmi for his contribution to India’s Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb – her composite culture and his development work in his village Mijwan.
MP Raj Babbar Chief Secretary UP and many other dignitaries were present on the occasion. It was followed by the staging of a play Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan written and directed by Nadira Zaheer Babbar.
Welcome speech by Chief Patron Shabana Azmi, Annual report of AIKKA by secretary SS Mehdi and vote of thanks was given by Board Member Vilayat Jafri. The CM has assured Shabana Azmi publicly that the 350 seater thrust theatre Kaifi Azmi Kala Kendra in Lucknow will open to the public on Kaifi Sbs death anniversary on 10th May 2016.
In Mumbai son Baba Azmi hosted an evening of poetry and music at Shaukat and Kaifi’s house 25, Janki Kutir. This is an annual event hosted by Baba to give a platform to new talent. Kaifi and Shaukats cottage has always been a hub of cultural and intellectual activity and to Baba goes the credit of restoring it to its previous glory.
Poets Javed Akhtar, Shakeel Azmi, Obaid Azmi, Suhail Warsi, Vijay Akela recited poetry. Javed Siddiquis talented daughter Lubna read out her fathers vignette on Kaifi. Actress Farha Naz’s son Fateh and actor Kanwaljits son Sidharth made their debut to much acclaim. Roopkumar Rathod and Sonali’s daughter Reewa sang 2 of Kaifi’s Ghazals composed by her father.
The event was attended by many stalwarts of IPTA, Satish Kaushik,Tanvee Azmi, Kanwaljit Singh, Roopkumar Rathod amongst many others.
Kaifi Azmi’s birthday on 14th January 2016 was celebrated in Mijwan, Lucknow and Mumbai
