The third edition of the Gujarati Iconic Film Awards (GIFA) brought the Gujarati film industry together on Sunday evening for a grand celebration. The event honored exceptional actors, musicians, artists, and technicians who contributed to elevating Gujarati cinema for audiences worldwide. Held at Narayani Heights Resorts and Hotels in Ahmedabad, the gala night recognized outstanding talents who left a lasting impact with their performances.
GIFA 2023: Celebrating Excellence in Gujarati Cinema
This year’s top honors included:
- Siddharth Randeria (Best Actor) for Natsamrat.
- Deeksha Joshi (Best Actress) for Sharato Lagu.
- Reva clinched the prestigious Film of the Year award.
- Jigardan Gadhvi won Best Playback Singer for his mesmerizing voice in Love Ni Bhavai.
- Best Actor in a Negative Role was awarded jointly to Abhinay Banker (Mijaaj) and Dayashankar Pandey (Bhanwar).
- Tasneem Shaikh secured Best Actress in a Negative Role for Natsamrat.
The film Reva, inspired by Dhruv Bhatt’s novel Tatvamasi, dominated the evening with six awards, including Best Film, Best Original Background Score, and Best Story. Additionally, Love Ni Bhavai, one of 2017’s biggest box-office hits, was honored with the Jury Award for Most Popular Film.
About GIFA
Conceptualized by Hetal Thakkar and the renowned singer Arvind Vegda (famous for Bhai-Bhai), GIFA continues to be a platform that recognizes and celebrates outstanding contributions to Gujarati cinema.
Complete List of Winners
Technical & Creative Awards:
- Editor of the Year: Dharmesh Patel & Pramod Kunder (Chal Man Jeetva Jaiye)
- Fight Master: Prateek Parmar (Suryansh)
- Original Background Score of the Year: Amar Khandha (Reva)
- Choreographer of the Year: Krunal Soni (Chhuti Jashe Chakka)
- Cinematographer of the Year: Suraj Kurade (Reva)
- Art Direction: Satyendra Parmar, Aditi Thakor, Purshottam Quenim (Bhanwar)
- Lyricist of the Year: Niren Bhatt (Love Ni Bhavai)
Acting Awards:
- Best Actor in a Negative Role: Abhinay Banker (Mijaaj), Dayashankar Pandey (Bhanwar)
- Best Actress in a Negative Role: Tasneem Shaikh (Natsamrat)
- Best Actor in a Comic Role: Smit Pandya (Family Circus)
- Best Supporting Actor (Male): Dharmendra Gohil (Chal Man Jitva Jaiye)
- Best Supporting Actor (Female): Roopa Borgaonkar (Reva)
- Best Male Playback Singer: Jigarden Gadhavi (Love Ni Bhavai)
- Best Female Playback Singer: Arohi Mhatre (Reva)
- Best Music Director: Parth Bharat Thakkar (Sharato Lagu)
- Best Actor of the Year: Siddharth Randeria (Natsamrat)
- Best Actress of the Year: Deeksha Joshi (Sharato Lagu)
- Best Debut Actor (Male): Neil Bhatt (Bhanwar)
- Best Debut Actress (Female): Aarti Nagpal (Fera Feri Hera Feri), Shrenu Parikh (Laamboo Rastoo)
Jury & Special Awards:
- Golden Award: Freddy Daruwala, Buddhichand Maroo (Shemaroo)
- Jury Award for Outstanding Performance in Film: DHH
- Jury Award for Most Popular Film of the Year: Love Ni Bhavai
- Outstanding Performance Awards: Deepak Gheewala, Jimit Trivedi
- Story of the Year: Rahul Bhole, Vitin Kanojia, Chetan Dhanani (Reva)
- Screenplay of the Year: Dipesh Shah (Chal Man Jeetva Jaiye)
- Dialogue Writer of the Year: Dipesh Shah (Chal Man Jeetva Jaiye)
- Best Director: Dipesh Shah (Chal Man Jeetva Jaiye)
- Film of the Year: Reva (Paresh Vora)
Conclusion
The GIFA 2023 awards night was a spectacular celebration of Gujarati cinema, recognizing both emerging and seasoned talents. With films like Reva and Love Ni Bhavai making a significant mark, the industry continues to thrive, bringing innovative storytelling and outstanding performances to audiences worldwide.