The Sapta Sindhu Forum celebrated the cultural and artistic legacy of Punjab at the Sapta Sindhu Solidarity Cine Awards and Conclave 2025. The event brought together top figures from cinema, industry and public life. It created a vibrant platform to honour Punjabi heritage.
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the ceremony as Chief Guests. In addition, Rajya Sabha MPs Padma Shri Rajinder Gupta and Subash Barala, along with industry leaders Umang Jindal and Abhaynoor Singh, joined as Guests of Honour.
Dr. Varinder Garg, Founder of the Forum, led the conclave in partnership with Nivedita Trust and PFTAA.
The organisers said the event aimed to highlight the 12,000-year-old civilisational heritage of the Sapta Sindhu region. They explained that Punjabi cinema preserves this legacy through storytelling, folklore and music.
Moreover, the Forum unveiled the Sapta Sindhu logo and launched its official YouTube channel. A curated documentary traced nearly 100 years of Punjabi cinema and showcased iconic artists and historic films.
The Forum also honoured Padma Shri Nirmal Rishi, Mohammad Sadiq and Padma Shri Dr. Jaspinder Narula with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Several popular artistes, including Binnu Dhillon, Jasbir Jassi, Tania, Guggu Gill, Ninja, Sardar Sohi, Amar Noorie, Dev Kharoud and Smeep Kang, received special recognition.
Finally, a soulful performance by Master Saleem added energy to the evening. The Forum said it will continue promoting research, creative work and global representation of Punjabi culture.
