Venue: Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall 
Harrington Road, Chennai

Jury:
Gayathri Sriram – Managing Director, Ucal Auto Private Limited
Sanjeev Kotnala – Vice President – Brand Communication, Dainik Bhaskar Group
Dr. Mariazeena Johnson – Director, Sathyabama University 
G. Dhananjaya – Chief – South Business – Studios, Disney UTV
Mr. Radha Mohan – Filmmaker
BlaaZe – Rap Artist & Playback Singer

Guest of Honor:
Mr. Vinod K Dasari – Managing Director of Ashok Leyland Limited

The event...
The 11th CavinKare Ability Awards at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao concert hall on the 9^th March was a showcase of excellence and inspiration as we recognised the immense achievements of each recipient. This year a special recognition award was given to nine-year-old Hridayeshwar Singh Bhati, the young inventor of six player chess. He was joined on stage with Deepa Malik, RJ Den and Samuel Ashish Marcus who each received a mastery award, and Ranjan Kumar Biswal, Founder of the Milton Charitable Foundation, who received the award for eminence.

Intermixed with inspiring speeches made by the jury members and guest of honour, Mr Vinod K. Dasari, the stage was lit up with elegant Orissi dance performances by the acclaimed Meera Das and her disciple Lopamudra Jena who performed in front of a backdrop of stars in the sky.

Although composer A.R.Rahman could not join us this year, he sent us his Infinite Love – the music video released in 2012 to celebrate the diversity of all life and culture around the world. In a touching and energising performance, children of the Clarke School for the Deaf, Deafblind and children with multiple disabilities, the VExcel Educational Trust for Children with Special Education Needs, and students from the Academy of Modern Danse took to the stage, joined by rap artist Blaaze.

This was a year of reflection and looking inwards as Dr. Mariazeena Johnson pledged to have her visiting cards printed in Braille, Gayathri Sriram urged the media to provide equal, positive coverage of persons with disabilities and the audience watched on in awe, providing standing ovations again and again.

Click to see the photo gallery.

The Awardees

CavinKare ABILITY Award for Eminence:

Ranjan Kumar Biswal With the mission to empower the lives of those with visual impairment in Odisha, Biswal founded the Milton Charitable Foundation in 2004, As a person with visual impairment himself, Biswal fought physical, social and personal odds to realise his dream. In the last eight years, the organisation has benefitted more than 1,000 people in several ways.

The CavinKare ABILITY Mastery Awards:

Sayomdeb Mukherjee Better known as RJ Den, Sayomdeb is an extremely popular RJ, hosting a daily show on an FM station in Kolkata. Den uses his life experience to respond to the problems of listeners. Born with dopa-responsive dystonia, a rare disorder, Sayomdeb has extreme mobility problems, and was non-verbal till age 25. In 2005, when he began to speak, he was able to fulfil a life-long dream.

Deepa Malik Taking up paralympic sports at the age of 36, Deepa’s achievements in biking, swimming, rally racing and athletics are phenomenal. She received the Arjuna award last year for her achievements in track and field. All this after she became paralysed from the chest down, following an operation to remove a tumour on her spine in 1991.