Smt. Poonam Tiwari Virat was conferred upon with the 11th Sharadchandra Vairagkar Memorial Award for Excellence in Theatre. This is awarded to one theatre person each year whose contribution to the field of theatre is unparalleled.
Smt Poonam Tiwari was awarded a sum of Rs. 21,000 along with a memento and a shawl. Her family was present with her during the ceremony. This award ceremony has evolved into an award bestowed by the city of Raigarh. 25 various cultural and social organisations of the city also honoured her on this occasion.
Smt. Poonam Tiwari Virat has worked as an actor and musician for over 50 years and has worked with stalwarts like Habib Tanvir, Safdar Hashmi, Dau Mandraji and so on. She had been a part of Naya Theatre for over 20 years and travelled the world with plays directed by Habib Tanvir.
She also sang select songs from her long theatre journey and presented three of her songs. A short documentary on her was presented on her life during the ceremony along with a photo exhibition, which is now installed at the festival venue this year.
