The West Bengal Film Journalists Association (WBFJA) held its annual awards ceremony on January 13, 2025, at Priya Cinema, Kolkata. Renowned filmmaker Aparna Sen received the prestigious ‘Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award’ for her significant contributions to Indian cinema. The event celebrated Bengali cinema’s excellence, with awards given in various categories, including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Director. It also paid tribute to legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor on his birth centenary with a thematic tribute to the circus industry.
Key Highlights of WBFJA Awards 2025
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Awardee: Aparna Sen
- Award Name: Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award
- Contribution: Recognized for her invaluable impact on Indian cinema.
- Speech: Aparna Sen expressed gratitude and encouraged contemporary Bengali filmmakers to carry forward the legacy of Bengali cinema.
Top Winners
- Best Film: Manik Babur Megh
- Best Actor (Male): Chandan Sen for Manik Babur Megh
- Best Actor (Female): Rituparna Sengupta for Ajogya
- Most Popular Film: Khadaan
- Most Popular Actor: Dev for Khadaan
Best Director (Joint Award)
- Srijit Mukherji for Badami Haynar Kabale
- Debaloy Bhattacharya for Padatik
- Special Recognition: Oti Uttam by Srijit Mukherji for its technical innovation using AI to recreate legendary actor Uttam Kumar’s voice.
Special Mentions
- Most Promising Director: Abhinandan Banerjee for Manik Babur Megh
- Best Screenplay: Anjan Dutt for Chalchitra Ekhon
- Best Music Director: Amit Chatterjee for Badami Haynar Kabale
- Best Background Score: Rathijit Bhattacharya for Khadaan
Playback Singer Awards
- Male: Timir Biswas for Tekka
- Rathijit Bhattacharya for Khadaan
- Female: Antara Mitra for Khadaan
Best Lyricist
- Winner: Kaushik Ganguly for Ajogya
Tribute to Raj Kapoor
- The ceremony paid homage to Raj Kapoor on his birth centenary.
- The theme revolved around the circus industry, with the iconic song Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan from Mera Naam Joker playing alongside a feature on circus history.
Notable Attendees
- Prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry attended the event, including,
- Saswata Chatterjee
- Mamata Shankar
- Paran Bandyopadhyay
| Summary/Static | Details |
| Why in the news? | WBFJA Awards: Aparna Sen Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Aparna Sen received the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to Indian cinema. |
| Best Film | Manik Babur Megh won Best Film at the WBFJA awards. |
| Best Actor (Male) | Chandan Sen for Manik Babur Megh. |
| Best Actor (Female) | Rituparna Sengupta for Ajogya. |
| Best Director (Joint Award) | Srijit Mukherji (Badami Haynar Kabale) and Debaloy Bhattacharya (Padatik). |
| Special Recognition | Srijit Mukherji for Oti Uttam, for technical innovation using AI to recreate Uttam Kumar’s voice. |
| Most Promising Director | Abhinandan Banerjee for Manik Babur Megh. |
| Most Popular Film | Khadaan. |
| Most Popular Actor | Dev for Khadaan. |
| Best Screenplay | Anjan Dutt for Chalchitra Ekhon. |
| Best Music Director | Amit Chatterjee for Badami Haynar Kabale. |
| Best Background Score | Rathijit Bhattacharya for Khadaan. |
| Playback Singer (Male) | Timir Biswas (Tekka), Rathijit Bhattacharya (Khadaan). |
| Playback Singer (Female) | Antara Mitra for Khadaan. |
| Best Lyricist | Kaushik Ganguly for Ajogya. |
| Tribute to Raj Kapoor | The event paid homage to Raj Kapoor on his birth centenary with a circus-themed tribute and the song Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan from Mera Naam Joker. |
| Notable Attendees | Saswata Chatterjee, Mamata Shankar, Paran Bandyopadhyay, among others. |
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