By Amit Sarwal and Jitarth Jai Bharadwaj
Ms Mitu BHOWMICK LANGE has been awarded AM in General Divison of the Order of Australia for significant service to the performing arts through film.
Ms Mitu Bhowmick Lange is the Founder and Director of Mind Blowing Films and Director of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Since 2018, she is also a board member of Film Victoria.
Ms Bhowmick Lange has produced and introduced several Indian film productions to Australia such as Salaam Namaste, Chak De India, Bachna Aye Haseeno, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic, and Love Aaj kal to name just a few. She is the only film distributor in Australia to have won the “Highest Grossing Foreign Film Award” four times in the last 13 years at the Australian International Movie Convention.
In 2023, Ms Bhowmick Lange was among the three speakers in Australia invited to speak at the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas which is the flagship event by the Government of India celebrating the contribution of the overseas Indian community. She was invited to speak on: Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs particularly women towards an inclusive approach to nation building, chaired by the Indian Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman.
Listen to Jitarth Jai Bharadwaj’s exclusive conversation with Ms Mitu Bhowmick Lange:
On 26 January, Governor-General David John Hurley, AC, DSC, FTSE, announced the 2023 Australia Day Honours and Awards for 1047 Australians. This includes awards in the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service.
On this occasion, Governor-General Hurley awarded 736 recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia (6 AC, 47 AO, 177 AM and 506 OAM). He said:
“Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in today’s Honours List. The recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and are, quite simply, inspiring.”
The Governor-General has prioritised ensuring the Order reflects the diversity of our community. There are 736 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia, with 48 per cent for women and 45 per cent for service to local communities. With 354 awards, this is the highest percentage of female Order of Australia recipients in an honours list since the introduction of the Australian honours system in 1975.
