Three personalities from Madhya Pradesh honored with Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2023; President Droupadi Murmu presented awards

Bhopal: President Draupadi Murmu honored three personalities of the state with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2023 in a investiture ceremony organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. President Smt. Murmu honored Rajeev Verma and Anup Joshi in the field of theater and Kalapini Komkali in the field of music by giving them copper plates. Angavastram and cash amount of Rs 1 lakh were also given to the award winners.

Anup Joshi honored for contribution in allied theater arts

Rajeev Verma has received the Academy Award for his special contribution in theater acting, Anup Joshi in allied theater arts - lighting and Kalapini Komkali for her special contribution in Hindustani vocal music.

Kalapini learnt from her distinguished parents 

Endowed with a wholly original, melodious and extremely rich voice, Kalapini is widely recognized as one of the finest and well - trained classical vocalists of the younger generation. She is the daughter and disciple of the legendary Pandit Kumar Gandharva and has also been trained by her illustrious mother, Vidushi Vasundhara Komkali. Kalapini learnt from her distinguished parents not only the technique and grammar of her art but also inherited a capacity for creativity and reflection.

While strengthening her hold over her inheritance with a fine sense of understanding, she has evolved her own vision and has emerged in the last decade as a vocalist with a profound degree of sensitivity and intensity. Her performances are marked by youthful imagination, artistic thoughtfulness and a mature command over various aspects of classical vocalism.

Her musical lineage is most manifest in her emphasis laid on the rendition of the bandish (composition), its bhava or meaning, and in the studied restraint which does not allow the notes, or laya (tempo), to overwhelm the lyrics. The full melodic range and versatility of her voice provide a silhouette but they are never allowed to dominate the rendition by naturally sliding into vocal acrobatics.

In the programme, a total of 94 personalities were given Academy Awards and 7 artistes were given Academy Fellowship for the year 2022 and 2023. On this occasion, Union Culture and Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal were also present.