MUMBAI: Vodafone presents Zee Gaurav 2010, the benchmark of excellence for Marathi films and theatre celebrated its grand evening yesterday, as stars gathered to applaud and congratulate the best of the industry for 2009.

This being the golden jubilee of Maharashtra as a state, the evening was also a celebration of the 50 glorious years of Maharashtra's existence as a state. The event thus took place against the backdrop of a wonderful fort-like set which gave the entire evening a different level of grandeur all together.

�Mi Shivaji Raje Bhosle Boltoy' was honoured with the Best Film award while �White lily and Night rider' won the award for the best play in the commercial section and �Tengshechya Swapnat Train' got the best experimental play award. Ravi Jadhav got the award for the best director for the film �Natarang'.

Shahir Sable and S. N. Navre were honoured with the lifetime achievement awards.
Sachin Khedekar won the best actor while Pallavi Joshi got the best actress for their films �Mi Shivaji Raje Bhosle Boltoy' and �Rita' respectively.

Natarang bagged seven awards, apart form Best Direction Natarang won the music awards as Ajay and Atul got best music directors, Ajay Gogawale got the best male singer and Bela Shende, best female singer while Guru Thakur got the best lyricist for his song â€?Khel Mandala', Kishor Kadam for best supporting actor, and best choreography Fulwa Khamkar.While Mee Shivaji Raje Bhosale Boltoy won Best Film, best actor, Editing- Sarvesh Parab, Art direction - Prashant Rane, Abhishek Viaykar, Background score- Ajit, Atul, Sameer, Script- Mahesh Manjrekar, Abhijeet Deshpande, Dialogue- Sanjay Pawar, Mahesh Manjrekar 

The evening began on a wonderful note with the Ganesh Vandana by some popular TV stars of the Marathi film industry. Sukhwinder Singh also entertained audiences as he sung and made everyone literally dance to his â€?Jai Ho' tunes. Even Siddharth Jadhav's â€?Maharashtrachi Lokdhara' act left everyone completely spellbound 
The audience were left in splits by the political satires �Mahacharcha' and �Avishkar Swatantrayche' by some leading folks of the Marathi industry. Another popular act of the evening was the lavani act by beautiful young ladies of the Marathi film and television industry- Bhargavi Chirmule, Urmila Kanetkar, Girija Oak, Mansi Salvi and Amruta Khanvilkar.
The evening ended on a wonderful, melodious note as Ajay and Atul enthralled audiences with a song specially composed to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Maharashtra.

All in all, it was a wonderful, starry evening that would be remembered for the rest of the year.

The glorious, grandeur Vodafone presents Zee Gaurav 2010 event will be telecast on Sunday, 7th March 2010 only on Zee Marathi.