For both work and play

Social worker Soonoo N. Andhyarujina was amongst those who received the D. D. Mehta Memorial Award at the 15th Navroze Dhamaka function held at Bombay’s Cama Baug on March 20, 2010. The award given for her social service activities was presented by Bom­bay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta. Andhyarujina, a beautician by profession, offers her services in an honorary capacity to a number of organizations including Frohar Foundation, Young Rathe­stars, the Jai Vakil School for Spastic and Handicapped Children, the Rusi Irani Centre for Training of Children in need of special care, notes a write-up.

Andhyarujina is on the committee of the World Zoroastrian Organisa­tion-India, working with its president, noted lawyer and former BPP trustee Dadi Engineer, arranging for free distribution of food packages at widows’ chawls, hospitals, old peoples’ homes, infirmaries and at Doongerwadi. She is also associated with the Parsi Resource Group founded by BPP trustee Jimmy Mistry which helps priests, provides assistance for the education of their children and conducts training camps for youngsters.

Top (far left): Dinshaw Mehta, Armaity Tirandaz and Soonoo Andhya-rujina; (right) Freny Ghandhy playing the mouth organ; Below, from left (back row): Organizers and guests at the Navroze Dhama­ka with awardees Boman Irani, Drs Cyres Mehta and Aashish Contractor, (front row) Sanobar Pardiwalla, Silloo Commissariat, Arzan Khambatta, Khurshedcheher Lawyer, Andhyarujina, Hutoxi Aibara, Shernaaz Engineer, Navaz Sanjana and Ratamai Peer

Despite her work and many other activities, Andhyarujina remains a devoted daughter to her 95-year-old mother, Freny R. Ghandhy who was present at the function. The nonagenarian, who is adept at playing a number of musical instruments such as the harmonium, accordion, piano and mouth organ, delighted the gathering at Cama Baug by performing with the mouth organ for which she was felicitated by actor Boman Irani’s wife, Zenobia. Ghandhy has won several prizes for her musical prowess at programs. In her heyday she too was an active social worker and helped many underprivileged people.

Besides Andhyarujina, the others who were felicitated were educationists Navaz Sanjana, Silloo Commissariat and Hutoxi Aibara; Drs Cyres Mehta and Aashish Contractor; actors Boman Irani and Khurshedcheher Lawyer; religion teacher Ratamai Peer; sculptor Arzan Khambatta; Jam-e-Jamshed editor Shernaaz Engineer and Bollywood stuntwoman Sanobar Pardiwalla.