D D Mehta Memorial Trust Felicitates Parsi Personalities

PARSI RATNA Conferred Upon Dinshaw Tamboly, Homai Daruwalla, Boman Irani, Kaizzad Capadia

‘NATION’S PRIDE’ Award For Dr. Cyres Mehta

‘DARABSHAW ACHIEVEMENT AWARD’ For Delnaz Balsara Sharma

By Khushnuma Naterwalla

MEDIA PARTNER PARSI TIMES

Over the past decade, the D D Mehta Memorial Trust (DDMMT) has been felicitating Zoroastrians for their achievements as a means of acknowledging their exemplary and inspirational feats and accomplishments to continue and further Parsi glory. The prestigious ‘Darabshaw Achievement Award’ is presented to Zoroastrians who have achieved success in various fields and set an example for others to continue in their footsteps; and the ultimate Community felicitation award, the ‘Parsi Ratna’ is the highest Community civilian award, conferred upon prominent members of our Community, who have made our Community proud as well as contributed greatly to its growth and betterment, nationally and globally.

At a glittering ceremony followed by an eve of excellent entertainment, on the 24th of March, 2019, the DDMMT felicitated our fabulous Zathosti achievers with the above mentioned awards, as well as celebrated the Community’s most auspicious festival – Jamshedi Navroz, via the 24th chapter of the annual Fund Raiser – ‘Navroze Dhamaka’. The funds are employed in furthering Zoroastrian cultural and philanthropical activities. This year ‘Navroze Dhamaka’ presented the hilarious Gujarati Natak, ‘Behram Ni Sasu’, which had audiences regaled with full-on entertainment and excellent performances by the Comedy King of Gujarati Theatre, Surat’s Yazdi Karanji – and his talented group, at Mumbai’s Y B Chavan Auditorium.

The event was hosted by the gracious and vibrant Maharukh Chichgar, who wowed the audiences with her inimitable flair in dishing out flawless Gujarati poetry, and started with the awards ceremony honouring all the distinguished guests. The Chief Guests were Consul General of Iran, Khoshrow Rezazadeh and MLA Raj Purohit, who awarded the following Parsi personalities for their outstanding achievements and contributions:

‘PARSI RATNA’ Awards were conferred upon renowned Bollywood actor and highly talented theatre personality turned producer (with newly launched Production House, ‘Irani Movietone’) – Boman Irani; the dynamic Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Zoroastrian Co-op Bank Pvt. Ltd. – Homai Daruwalla; the Community’s leading philanthropist and visionary, as also Corporate Counsellor to various leading India Corporations and founding Trustee of WZO Trust Funds – Dinshaw Kaiki Tamboly; and the ‘Nations Strength Coach’ and Founder and Director of K11 – Kaizzad Capadia. The ‘DARABSHAW ACHIEVEMENT AWARD’ was conferred upon the current ‘MRS. ASIA UNIVERSE 2018’ – Delnaz Balsara Sharma. A special ‘NATION’S PRIDE’ Award was conferred upon Dr. Cyres Mehta, the nation’s leading eye-surgeon and one of the world’s most recognized Ophthalmologists, our Community’s eye-prodigy. Dr. Cyres Mehta has been an earlier recipient of the PARSI RATNA Award, but in keeping with his constant pathbreaking achievements worldwide in Ophthalmology, he was bestowed with a special honour – NATION’S PRIDE!

In keeping with his inspiring sense of grace and humility, Boman Irani also called on stage, Parsi theatre’s celebrated personality and Bollywood actor – Bomi Dotiwala and the highly talented, legendary theatre actor, Surat’s Yazdi Karanjia – as a mark of their much-deserved acknowledgment and respect.

Post the awards distribution, the family entertainment play, ‘Behram Ni Sasu’, commenced leaving the audience in splits with its witty and hilarious script – with Behram enacted by the amazingly talented Yazdi Karanjia along with his brilliant troupe from Surat including Maharukh Chichgar, Veera Karanjia, Shahzad Karanjia, Perin Karanjia, Farzan Karanjia, Dilnaz Bhesania, Dhwani Trivedi and Jal Langdana. The play has been written by the Late Phiroze Antia, directed by Yazdi Karanjia and the Late Mehernosh Karanjia.

Diniar Mehta, organiser and founder of the ‘D D Mehta Memorial Trust’ and ‘The Parsi Food and Trade Festival’ thanked all the Committee Members – Ghaver Reader, Zinobia Pestonjamasp, Khurshed Lawyer and other volunteers for their support; as also the sponsors and Media Partner, Parsi Times.

Heartiest Congratulations to the Awardees. A truly ‘Dhamakedar’ evening for one and all!!

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