It’s been an amazing year for Indians, we’re not the only ones who are declaring that. Times Now, India’s leading English news channel, too, shares our enthusiasm for celebrating this sentiment and went a step ahead to honour those who made the country proud both nationally and internationally. At the recently concluded Amazing Indians Awards 2024, the channel’s annual event for recognising extraordinary achievements of everyday people, a handful of such inspiring individuals were lauded for exceeding expectations in their chosen fields, including the Olympic champions who made the country proud in Paris this month.

13 individuals were handpicked by a jury of esteemed members that consisted of Sanjeev Sanyal, Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister; Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP Leader, General M. M. Naravane, Former Chief of the Army Staff, Indian Army; Prasoon Joshi, and Renu Sud Karnad, Chairperson, GlaxoSmithKline & Board Member, HDFC Bank. At the event which was held in New Delhi, Kiren Rijju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minister of Minority Affairs, delivered a thunderous speech and felicitated the winners alongside the jury members. The awardees were chosen from 13 specially curated categories pertinent to development in India with the special honour reserved for Olympic bronze medallists Aman Sherawat, who became the youngest-ever to win in the 57-kg freestyle wrestling, ans Harmanpreet Singh, Captain of Indian Men’s Hockey team, for their performances at the Paris Olympics.

Here’s a complete list of people who were handpicked to be honoured at this year’s Amazing Indian Awards and their respective categories

1. Agriculture – Mrs.Raumati Ghiuria
2. Animal Welfare – Mr.Peera Ram
3. Education – Mr. Pauzagin Tonsing
4. Environment Sustainability – Dr. Sarita Subramaniam
5. Food Management & Nutrition – Mr.Vishal Singh
6. Girl Child & Women’s Right Empowerment – Ms.Shaikh Raziya
7. Healthcare – Mr.Sipong Chingmak Chang
8. Healthcare – Ms.Preethi Srinivasan
9. Road Safety – Mr. Piyush Tiwari
10. Rural and Slum development – Mr. Ranjeet Yadav
11. Sanitation & Water – Mr. Nimalan V R
12. Social Innovation using Technology – Mr.Kadivendi Mahipal Chary
13. Sports Enablers – Mr. Aditya Mehta

“The jury must’ve had a herculean task to select winners, because every nominee is truly exceptional,” said Kiren Rijju. “These Amazing Indians have not only inspired us but also filled us with a sense of pride and happiness. As someone holding responsibility in the government, we will continue to support those who are contributing to India’s growth,” he added.

When you’re a kid, the crayon is quite possibly the greatest tool of power you can wield. Its power is only limited by your imagination and the scope of that is limitless. Crockett Johnson’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon is based on this idea and the new feature film serves as a live-action sequel to this popular children’s book. Harold (Zachary Levi) uses the crayon to step out of the book and into the real world in search of his ‘old man’ or creator. Harold isn’t a toddler anymore, he’s a full-grown man, looking for the reason behind his creation.

Children’s stories, books and movies have universal wisdom that transcends the age of the viewer. We’ve seen movies like Inside Out, Soul and Toy Story franchise turn into modern classics beyond the prospects of their animated movie genre. Harold and the Purple Crayon tries hard to transcend into the realm of higher meaning and a universal message. While the idea of the magical crayon that can create anything is a good motif to convey the message that imagination is the most powerful tool possessed by humans. As we grow up, from innocent children to conscious adults, we tend to forget the importance of our imagination, our dreams and hopes.

While director Carlos Saldanha’s film tries sincerely to put this point across, the screenplay doesn’t quite grow out of the childish humour. There’s nothing wrong with the kiddish humour though. The gags and the jokes in Harold and the Purple Crayon are all spot on. But the movie just never manages to shake off Zachary Levi’s boyish-manly charm, something that even his recent Shazam films, couldn’t dodge either.

If you’ve grown up being a fan of fantasy books like Harry Potter, Lord Of The Rings and Game Of Thrones, you’ll be able to appreciate the witticism and the humour behind the character of Library Gary (Jemaine Clement). His machinations are the perfect foil for Harold’s innocence and naivety. But the screenplay doesn’t make good with the talents of Zooey Deschanel (playing Terry, looking completely unlike her usual self), Tanya Reynolds (Porcupine) and Lil Rey Howery (Moose). What’s also missing in this movie is a great soundtrack. The potential to create a memorable experience by taking adults on a nostalgia trip to their childhood is absolutely lost to music that just lacks the soul and the relevance.

Harold and the Purple Crayon has a very strong message. It’s just that the makers didn’t quite employ the full power of their imagination while writing and creating this movie. This has all the trappings to be an unforgettable experience. Pity that it barely scratches that surface.