TV9 Bangla recently hosted the ‘TV9 Bangla Ghorer Bioscope Awards 2023’.
The awards were held on June 17, 2023, at JW Marriott, Kolkata. It celebrated the talents and contributions of the Bengali television industry, OTT content creators, and YouTubers, showcasing the growth and creativity in the entertainment space.
The event was graced by the Guest of Honour, Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. Followed by the stars of Bengali film industry like Prosenjit Chatterjee, Dev, Rituparna Sengupta, Subhashree Ganguly, Raima Sen, Srabanti Chatterjee, Soham Chakraborty, and many more.
The award show aimed to acknowledge and applaud the outstanding achievements of individuals and productions in the realm of Bengali serials, online streaming platforms (OTT), and YouTube. The event brought together artistes, industry professionals with the aim to make it a memorable night filled with glitz, glamour, and celebration. The award show recognised the immense impact and influence of television serials, Bengali OTT content, and Bengali YouTubers on the cultural landscape of West Bengal. The winners were selected through a process that involved a combination of audience voting and jury panels comprising industry veterans and experts.
Highlights from the evening included performances by artistes like Rupam Islam, Nachiketa, Sourendro-Soumyojit and many more. The ceremony was hosted by the trio of Arpita Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee and Abir Chatterjee, who brought their charm and wit to keep the audience entertained throughout the evening.
The award show featured a multitude of categories, encompassing various genres and formats. From Best Bengali Serial and Best Reality Show to Best Web Series and Best YouTuber, every facet of the industry was recognised and appreciated. The winners were selected through a rigorous process, with a panel of esteemed industry experts named Prabhat Roy, Anriruddha Roy Choudhury, Shankarlal Bhattacherjee, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Moon Moon Sen, Ratul Shankar, Ujjal Chakraborty, Arghakamal Mitra, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Joy Sarkar, Srijato, Debesh Chattapoadhaya, Kunal Sarkar, Aniruddha Chakladar and Abonti Chakraborty evaluating the entries based on creativity, originality, and impact.
The award show was telecast on TV9 Bangla on June 25 at 6 pm.
MD and CEO of TV9 Network, Barun Das, said in his address, “Art is the only man-made concept that unites people. Language, Religion Politics, everything is divisive, only Art unites beyond everything. TV set has brought Bioscope to the corner of the room. Another aspect of it is that the potential of Soft Power has increased manifold. It is a deadly weapon and with it a society can be steered towards one's choice. Now I think Film and Entertainment with this potent combination of Soft Power and unifying ability can elevate life to what extent! I am an eternal optimist. Always optimistic. Hopefully That day will come, and this Bengal will again guide the country. And through this we will relive the time when again it will be-What Bengal thinks today India thinks tomorrow.”
Anurag Thakur said, "I think OTT has emerged as one of the biggest mediums during COVID-19 and it has bridged the gap between geographically disabled areas. I believe soft power doesn't have any boundary but the content in OTT is being watched by families so the issue of regulation I am keeping the query before you. Streaming content is being watched in other mediums rather than traditional means like TV, Indian content is getting more recognition now like the song 'Naatu Naatu' and the documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers' both have the Academy Award 2023. I congratulate the recipients in the different categories. It is a recognition of your contribution in the fields of art and entertainment. It is my absolute pleasure to stand before you and offer heartfelt congratulations to ‘TV9 Bangla Ghorer Bioscope Awards 2023’ their first-ever Award Show celebrating performances of Bengali TV serial & OTT shows and artistes. It is a one-of-a-kind award show since it is hosted by a Bengali News Channel honouring artistes.”