Sonal threatens to return award

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Bhopal, May 10 (UNI) A piquant situation arose at a prestigious award presentation function here last night when renowned Odissi dancer Sonal Mansingh abruptly stopped her dance performance and threatened to return ''Kalidas Samman'' taking umbrage at the VVIPs, including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP President Rajnath Singh, leaving the venue in the middle of her performance..

At the award function, organised by the Madhya Pradesh Culture department, eight prominent writers and artistes were given national-level awards and three others were decorated with state-level awards. Ms Mansingh was given 'Kalidas Samman' which carried Rs one lakh and a citation.

After the award presentation, Mr Chouhan, Mr Singh, State Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma and other VVIPs left the venue when Ms Mansingh started a dance performance. Taking exception to the VVIPs leaving the venue as an ''affront'' to an artiste, Ms Mansingh stopped her programme and took on the mike to declare that it was improper to leave the programme in the middle of a performance.

The startled organisers, including Culture department Director Pawan Shrivastava, and few inisters present there rushed to the dais and persuaded the dancer to resume the performance.

According to Mr Shrivastava, the dancer was told that the VVIPs had left due to other engagements. Mr Chouhan left on a foreign tour last night itself.

''I have forgiven them'', she told reporters while leaving the venue.

The awardees include Akkittam Achyutan Namboodiri of Palakkad (Kabir Samman), classical dancer Sonal Mansingh of Delhi (Kalidas Samman) , Pandit Puttaraj Kavi Gavai of Karnataka (Kalidas Samman)m Shri Shanti Dave of New Delhi (Kalidas Samman), Mr Bimal Lath of Kolkata (Kalidas Samman) , Manu Sharma of Varanasi (Maithili Sharan Gupt Samman), Ms Gauri Devi of Midnapore (Devi Ahilya Samman), Mr Bishen Tandon of Delhi (Sharad Joshi Samman). The state level awardees are Mr Devendra Deepak of Bhopal (Shikhar Samman) Ms Shobha Ghare of Bhopal (Shikhar Samman) and Dr Puru Dadhich of Indore (Shikhar Samman).

UNI

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