Juhi Chawla, Nawazuddin Siddiqui to get Indira Gandhi Award 2015

Bollywood actors Juhi Chawla and Nawazuddin Siddiqui are among seven prominent personalities from different fields named for the prestigious Indira Gandhi Memorial Award 2015, a top official said here on Wednesday.

The other awardees include international athlete Kavita Raut; first woman editor of a Marathi daily Punyanagri, Rahi Bhide; author Kavita Mahajan; academician Farida Lambay and industrialist Megha Phansalkar.

Well known actor Nawazuddin, who played the lead role in the film "Manjhi: The Mountain Man" is the only male selected in this year's list, said Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam.

"Two prominent personalities - former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, the first woman to hold the august post, and All India Congress Committee general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi, who both worked with late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for many years, shall be the chief guests and felicitate all the awardees," Nirupam told IANS.

The honour carries no cash award or other benefits. The birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi is celebrated by felicitating leading personalities from different walks of life for their achievements, he added.

The function will be held at Y.B. Chavan Auditorium here on Thursday on the occasion of Indira Gandhi's 98th birth anniversary in the presence of top Congress leaders, former union ministers and past and present lawmakers.