PANCHKULA, February 17, 2025 – Radio Udaan’s two days event held on February 15-16 at Jatt Bhavan, Panchkula, celebrated the talent and resilience of individuals with disabilities. The event showcased specially designed apparel for visually impaired persons, promoting inclusivity and challenging conventional notions of beauty.
The runway was filled with avant-garde designs, vibrant colors, and bold patterns, signaling the start of a new era in fashion. The show has been witnessed by the esteemed guests Harpreet Kaur Babla—Mayor, Chandigarh; Mr. Malik—Chairperson, Jatt Bhawan, Dolly Guleria and Mr. Praveen Ambashta—Deputy Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. The first day saw a packed audience. The play “Intezaar” captured the hearts of the audience. This play was directed and written by the national awardee, Danish Mahajan.
The Mr. and Ms. Beauty pageant was judged by Ms. Jigna Shah, Ms. Devi Krishnan, Ms. Bhawna Chauhan, and Ms. Saroj Verma. The most talented Ms. Gauri Kuber hosted the show. The event also featured the renowned Punjabi singer Dolly Guleria, who added to the star-studded atmosphere. The fashion show was directed and choreographed by Beenu Rajpoot, a very creative director and filmmaker.
Dignitaries and notable guests attended the event, including Radio Udaan’s team, who worked tirelessly to ensure its success. The event was organized by Radio Udaan under the Udaan Empowerment Trust to raise disability rights awareness and foster inclusion. “This event fulfilled a long-held vision,” stated Mr. Danish Mahajan. He went on to share, “I first discussed the idea with Tanmai Jain and, together, we approached Ms. Beenu Rajpoot to bring this vision to reality.” Ms. Jyoti Malik, the event coordinator, acknowledged the challenges but emphasized the team’s commitment. Ms. Minal Singhvi, Director of Radio Udaan, affirmed the event’s aim to dismantle stereotypes and empower individuals with disabilities. The whole show was hosted by the Danish Mahajan and Gauri Kuber. They both added the flavour to the evening.
The winners are; Swati Singla (in females) and Buddha Lama (in males) was the winner and Aarti Maanmode, Dr. Hitesh Prasad was the runner-up in low vision category. In totally blind category the winners were Megha Gupta (in females), Devraju G (in males) and runner ups – Kratika Sharma, and Maninder Singh.
The backbone of this event is the Radio Udaan team, whose members include Minal Singhvi, Danish Mahajan, Saif Rehman, Jyoti Malik, Rajeev Bhambri, Puneet Soni, Rajendar Johny, Sanjeev Raju, Ashish Singla, Divya Sharma, Afshana, Gauri Kuber, Harshada Asha Paul, & Tanmai Jain. All members work 24×7 for the betterment of the radio udaan.
The event was supported by various organizations, including the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Sablon Swasthya Mission, ITC, HDFC Mutual Fund, Union Bank of India, Smarton, NFB Karnataka, Deepstambh, Mitrajyothi, Babusa Commando Force, The Jewel Story, Shreya Makeovers, and NAB Delhi.
Radio Udaan plans to expand the event internationally, continuing its mission to raise awareness and promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities.
And the winners are; Swati Singla (in females) and Buddha Lama (in males) was the winner and Aarti Maanmode, Dr. Hitesh Prasad was the runner-up in low vision category. In totally blind category the winners were Megha Gupta (in females), Devraju G (in males) and runner ups – Kratika Sharma, and Maninder Singh.
