Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Nitin Sawhney wins top honour at Eastern Eye’s annual Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards

Nitin Sawhney wins top honour at Eastern Eye’s annual Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards

ACCLAIMED musician Nitin Sawhney won the top award at Eastern Eye’s annual Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs), which recognise the achievements of Britain’s south Asian community in the arts, creative and media industries.

Sawhney, whose latest album, Immigrants, examines the complexities of identities in modern Britain, was presented The Eastern Eye Outstanding Contribution to Creative Industry Award.


He said, “My last album was called immigrants for good reason. We live in a country, which is guilty of endemic racism, you may not admit that all the time. But that's everywhere; we've all grown up with it. And it exists out there.

“The constant challenge is to make music that is relevant, and that speaks from the heart and is true, and goes with what you believe. And you never let yourself down or what you what you create.”

Launched in 2016 by Eastern Eye’s publisher, the Asian Media Group, the ACTAs celebrate the diverse artistic talent among Britain’s south Asians communities.

Prominent figures from the film, music, theatre and the entertainment industry attended the sixth edition of the event, at the May Fair hotel in central London last Friday (3).

INSET Sujit Ghosh 3 Sujit Ghosh speaking during ACTA event

India’s deputy High Commissioner Sujit Ghosh paid tribute to the artistic community and their efforts in uniting different cultures and countries.

MPs, peers, arts organisations and business leaders were among those who attended the celebration, which was originally due to be held in September 2022, but was postponed following the deaths of the Queen and also AMG co-founder Parvatiben Solanki, both of whom passed on September 8.

Actress Anjana Vasan, artist Chila Burman, director Indhu Rubasingham and author-columnist Sathnam Sanghera were among other winners on the night, when a total of 18 awards were presented.

Eastern Eye’s editor at large, Amit Roy, called for British Asians to become decision makers.

Addressing the 250-strong gathering, he said, “ACTA was set up partly because we felt that British Asian artists were not getting the recognition they deserved.

“We know there has been progress. But perhaps we need to go a little beyond British Asian artists waiting to be given commissions by other people. Maybe the time has time for British Asians to move into commissioning roles themselves.”

From arts to music and books to theatre, the ACTAs recognise talent across a variety of fields and Friday’s awards followed previous virtual celebrations due to the pandemic.

Chila Kumari Burman won the Eastern Eye Award for Arts for her installation, ‘Do you see words in rainbows’ featuring neon and rainbow colours and Indian motifs in London’s Covent Garden.

Urja Desai Thakore won the Eastern Eye Award for Dance for her work, Kattam, Katti, which drew from Gujarat’s annual Uttarayan kite-flying festival and sought to highlight inequalities in life.

Last year marked 50 years of the arrival of Asians forced to flee from Uganda and the authors of two books whose theme featured this won The Eastern Eye Award for Fiction.

16 Fiction Hafsa Zayyan and Neema Shah with Amish Tripathi Hafsa Zayyan and Neema Shah with Amish Tripathi

Hafsa Zayyan, the author of We are all Birds of Uganda, and Neema Shah, who wrote Kololo Hill, were jointly awarded the prize.

Sanghera, who writes for The Times, won the Eastern Eye Award for Non-Fiction for his book, Empireland: How Imperialism has shaped modern Britain. It examines British thought and ideas conceived during the Empire and how those shaped modern Britain.

One of the pioneers of Asian photography, the late Maganbhai ‘Masterji’ Patel, of Coventry, was honoured, posthumously, with the Eastern Eye Award for Photography. Judges paid tribute to Masterji’s visual archive that encapsulate the stories of successive generations of British south Asians.

14 Sangita Myska and Sathnam Sanghera Sangita Myska and Sathnam Sanghera during the event

LBC presenter Sangita Myska, the first Asian woman to have her own show on the radio station, which draws three million listeners and viewers, won the Eastern Eye Award for Best Presenter.

West End production Life of Pi, which enthralled audiences with its puppetry, won the Eastern Eye Award for Best Production. Its lead performer, Hiren Abeysekera, won the Eastern Eye Award for Theatre, Best Actor.

Produced by Simon Friend Entertainment, the Yann Martel’s Booker Prize winning novel about an Indian boy, Pi Patel (played by Abeysekera), and Richard Parker, a talking circus tiger, was adapted for the stage by writer Lolita Chakrabarti and is now set to be staged in the US.

Rubasingham was named the Best Director for The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre, while Ayesha Dharker won the gong for Best Actress (Theatre) for her role in the same play. It is a fictional dramatisation of Mahatma Gandhi and his Nathuram Godse, who shot him dead.

04 Sagar Radia and Sudha Bhuchar Sagar Radia (L) and Sudha Bhuchar at the ACTA event

In the Film, TV & Drama category, Sagar Radia won the Best Actor award for his role in BBC drama Industry and ITV’s The Good Karma Hospital.

Anjana Vasan was recognised for her roles in BBC series Killing Eve and Channel 4’s We are Lady Parts with the best actress award in the Film, TV and Drama category.

A children’s play, Jabala and the Jinn, won Asif Khan the Eastern Eye Award for Best Scriptwriter award.

Actor Rish Shah who plays Kamran in the new Ms Marvel series - which premiered in June last year - was named The Eastern Eye’s Emerging Artist.

In a video message, he said, “I’m really proud to be part of this community that's fighting for better representation. I hope to continue to work that makes us proud as a community.”

For its work on exploring historical links of colonialism and the slave trade, the National Trust won the Eastern Eye Community Engagement Award.

Judges praised the trust’s 115-page report, “Addressing our histories of colonialism and historic slavery”, which revealed that 93 out of its 500 historic properties were built either with colonial loot or the proceeds of the slave trade. Despite extreme pressure, The National Trust did not shy away from telling the truth, the judges said.

The Eastern Eye Award for Music award went to singer-songwriter and composer Swati Natekar who has worked with Sawhney, Niraj Chag and Jakatta American Dream as well as Zakir Hussain, Talvin Singh, Sonu Nigam and Muzaffar Ali.

2G9A8393 Winners of Eastern Eye’s annual Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards

This year’s Eastern Eye Editor’s Special Award was presented to The British Film Institute for its Satyajit Ray Season, curated by Sangeeta Datta and which saw the screening of 37 films including Ray’s famed ‘Pather Panchali’ trilogy.

The event was compered by BBC presenter Nihal Arthanayake.

More For You

Police officers

Police officers stand guard between an anti fascist group and Tommy Robinson supporters during an anti-immigration rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, September 13, 2025.

REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

UK defends France migrant returns deal after court blocks first removal

THE British government has defended its new migrant returns deal with France after a High Court ruling temporarily blocked the deportation of an Eritrean asylum seeker, marking an early legal setback to the scheme.

The 25-year-old man, who arrived in Britain on a small boat from France on August 12, was due to be placed on an Air France flight from Heathrow to Paris on Wednesday (17) morning. But on Tuesday (16), Judge Clive Sheldon granted an interim injunction, saying there was a “serious issue to be tried” over his claim to be a victim of trafficking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

Dr Amal Bose. (Photo: Lancashire Police)

Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

AN ASIAN senior heart surgeon, who abused his position to sexually assault female members of staff, has been jailed for six years.

Dr Amal Bose, from Lancaster, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault against five colleagues at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between 2017 and 2022. He was cleared of two other charges.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi & Trump

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.

Reuters

Trump greets Modi on 75th birthday, trade talks continue in Delhi

Highlights:

  • Both leaders reaffirm commitment to India-US partnership
  • Trade talks resume in New Delhi amid tariff tensions
  • India defends purchase of discounted Russian oil

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday called Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and greeted him ahead of his 75th birthday. The phone call sparked hopes of a reset in India-US ties, which had been under strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Donald Trump and Melania Trump

Donald Trump and Melania Trump exit Air Force One after arriving at London Stansted Airport for a state visit on September 16, 2025 in Stansted, Essex.

Getty Images

UK rolls out royal welcome as Trump begins second state visit

Highlights:

  • Trump begins his second state visit to the UK with a royal welcome at Windsor Castle
  • Prince William, Catherine, King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in ceremony
  • State banquet and trade talks with prime minister Keir Starmer scheduled
  • Protests and security operation mark visit amid political challenges

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump began his unprecedented second state visit to Britain on Wednesday with a lavish welcome from King Charles and the royal family at Windsor Castle.

Keep ReadingShow less
11th UK Gatka Championship

All winners received medals and trophies

UK Parliament

11th UK Gatka Championship ends with Welsh debut and £1,000 support for Gatka Akharas

Highlights:

  • The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
  • Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
  • Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
  • Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.

Gatka Championship marks Welsh debut

The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, Wales, showcasing the traditional Sikh martial art with flair. Seven leading Gatka Akharas participated, thrilling spectators with their lightning-fast strikes, precision moves and elegant techniques.

Inauguration by global leaders

The tournament was inaugurated by Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation (WGF) and the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI). He was joined by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, President of Gatka Federation UK, alongside other dignitaries including Jagbir Singh Jagga Chakar, President of Wales Kabaddi Club, and community leaders from the Haveli Hotel Pontyclun.

Keep ReadingShow less