Mehfil Hosts Landmark Awards Gala

Click Here to View Winners Videos

When tickets for the first annual RBC Mehfil Magazine Awards for Excellence Gala sold out in a matter of days, publishers Rana and Minto Vig were confident the event was going to be an exciting one.

“It was very gratifying to see so much support in the community for this event,” says Rana Vig. “We had a lot of people say, ‘It’s about time.’”

It was time, says Minto Vig, explaining that the seeds for the awards event were planted more than 16 years ago when the magazine was first launched.

“Mehfil was conceived to shine a light on the Indo-Canadian community,” says Minto. “And in that regard we’ve always planned to build to this kind of event. But we felt it was necessary to wait until Mehfil had enough history and garnered enough respect as a publication to give the awards significance.”

Further confirmation came when CBC’s Peter Mansbridge, widely considered Canada’s greatest broadcast journalist, agreed to take on the role of keynote speaker at the awards gala.

“I don’t think we could have asked for higher praise than a Canadian icon agreeing to be a part of our event. He certainly didn’t need to do it, he wanted to,” says Minto, adding that if Mehfil hadn’t built its reputation by remaining committed to journalistic integrity, Mansbridge “wouldn’t have given us the time of day.”

And Mansbridge did his homework, saying he asked friends and colleagues in B.C. for feedback on the magazine and the people behind it before agreeing.

Johnny Michel, Regional Director of CBC, was one of those who encouraged Mansbridge to participate in the event.

“I right away told him that I’ve been working with Mehfil for the past fifteen years and that they are at the top of their game. That Mehfil really serves to celebrate all the accomplishments of the South Asian community,” says Michel, who also attended the event.

“It’s a magazine that is thoroughly professional, exciting, informative and rich in both texture and content,” says Mansbridge. “Its focus on highlighting the people and issues of our time, often but not exclusively, by profiling the Indo-Canadian personalities who deal with those issues, is both enlightening and entertaining. It’s a first-class magazine that makes its readers better prepared for our world and the communities in which we live.” He adds that he was excited to be part of what was bound to be an important evening in the community.

“The choice of Peter Mansbridge to give the keynote address was great,” says Arvinder Bubber, whose company presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. “He is an excellent speaker with a great sense of humour. He is well travelled and very sensitive to the fabric of Canada.”

During his engaging speech, Mansbridge commented on the importance of supporting journalism and the difference one journalist can make to a nation. He also spoke about Canadian identity, citing examples from his own experiences, having travelled the world and seen that people around the globe often show greater appreciation of who and what Canada represents than we do here at home.

As Canadians, he said, we are all participants in shaping and defining not only our nation, but what it means to be Canadian.

Mehfil also flew in comedian Dan Nainan from New York to act as master of ceremonies at the landmark event.

Nainan (see page 62), who has toured with Russel Peters, had the crowd laughing throughout the evening with his impressions and unique perspective as a half-Japanese half-Indian former Intel engineer navigating his way to success in comedy.

“I can always gauge how the evening is going to go by the first joke,” says Nainan of his performance at the gala, adding that he couldn’t believe the reaction. “I don’t know what it was about that crowd but they were completely primed. Everything was perfectly executed.”

During Nainan’s comedy routine, guests enjoyed a delicious dinner created by the Fairmont Waterfront’s chef Adrian Dias (see page 64). Next came an extravagant fashion show featuring the designs of Neeta Paul (see page 63). The fashion show was followed by the awards presentations (read about the award winners on the following pages), which recognized the contributions and achievements of nine extraordinary individuals.

“Choosing the winners was no easy task and the nine individuals recognized during the evening are a small representation of the incredible talent and success in our community,” says Minto. “One I felt particularly proud of was artist Kanwar Dhillon. He is very gifted yet has chosen a subject — Sikh history — that relegates him to incredible scrutiny on the one hand from our community and to the fringe by a mainstream arts community that doesn’t understand the significance of his art. I believe in the years to come his work will play an important role in raising awareness of Sikh history.”

The audience watched a video presentation on each of the award winners before the awards were presented. In his video, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Asa Johal reflected on the days when he earned less than a dollar a day and Indians weren’t permitted in Vancouver restaurants. The audience acknowledged Johal’s many contributions to Canadian society with a lengthy standing ovation.

The consensus among the award presenters and guests was that in recognizing outstanding members of the Indo-Canadian community, the event served as a unique source of inspiration for all Canadians.

“RBC is proud to support the Mehfil Awards for Excellence and to recognize the many talented and successful individuals from the Indo-Canadian community,” said Graham MacLachlan, Regional President, B.C., RBC Royal Bank.

“This event recognizes Indo-Canadians who inspire others to pursue their dreams and gives people an opportunity to appreciate all that the South Asian culture has to offer. They also foster communication with leaders not only in the Indo-Canadian community, but also in the broader economic, political and social spheres of the entire province,” he added.

All the award winners said they were honoured to be recognized and hoped the awards would inspire others to excel and to make a difference.

“I hope this event will have a positive impact on how South Asians are perceived in mainstream society and motivate members of our community to strive for excellence,” said Balpreet Khatra, recipient of the Academic Excellence Award.

“In my mind, these awards resonate because they are so much more than a simple awards celebration,” said Harry Sadhra, Director of Regional Operations, RBC Royal Bank. “These awards help remind us of the pride and capability within the South Asian community — always important. Just as important is how this event paid homage to the varied obstacles and challenges overcome by so many (past and present) in the room. I believe that dialogue is just as important as celebrating the successes, so that the South Asian community can continue to learn and build off the past. That mutual learning allows a community to grow together.”

With overwhelming support to make the event an annual one, Mehfil has already set a tentative date for next year’s gala: October 2, 2010.

“We’re proud to be able to recognize deserving individuals,” says Minto. “The credit for this event should go to the sponsors who made it possible and to the awards recipients who, through their commitment to excellence, have achieved and contributed so much.”