The Birth of Hirkani Awards....

How DD Sahyadri Hirkani Awards were born ...

After the Success of Sahyadri Navratna awards, Mukesh Sharma was toying with the idea of creating another TV event focussed at women. As luck would have it, Lux approached DD Mumbai through an Ad agency to produce an event, something on the lines of a Beauty contest.

DD was suppose to invite young beautiful faces from Maharashtra and make them walk the ramp since Brand Lux is associated with Beauty soap.

Mukesh Sharma thought, having a plain beauty contest, (with out associating it with any socially relevant issue), was not intelligent programming. But then, he was seeing some good money for the TV channel. So he worked on it with an idea, which later on became a house hold name & a brand for the Sponsor and DD.

Why talk about external Beauty?

A Women of Substance is far more beautiful then just a beautiful face. The idea clicked with the Sponsors. It was now left with DD to search for such women. Why not look for those women Ikon, who are First in their fields, thought Mukesh Sharma. And the hunt 'Women of Substance' began. DD Sahydri was lucky to select the following in its maiden effort.

1.Sai Paranjpye (1st women TV Producer from DD)

2.Swati Sathe (1st women Jailor)

3.Dr Indra Hinduja (1st women Doctor to produce test tube baby )

4.Urvashi Saxena (1st women Chief Income tax Commissioner, Mumbai )

5.Meera Borwankar (1st women Joint Commissioner, Mumbai Police)

6.Saudamini Deshmukh (1st women Pilot Air India)

7.Manisha Mahiskar (1st women Collector of Sangli)

8.Rajni Pandit (1st women Detective)

9.Padma Bandyopadhyay (1st women Air Vice Marshal)

10.Surekha Yadav (1st Motor women)

During the recording of the ground event of Lux Hirkani Awards at DDK Mumbai, Meera Borwankar (now CP of Pune) said,'' this is a wonderful idea of celebrating Women of substance. But I wonder, if next year, Mukesh Sharma will be able to find, so many FIRST in the respective fields"?