Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte, a young singer from Lunglei town in southern Mizoram, has been conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for her achievements in music and cultural contribution at a young age.
Born on June 9, 2016, Hnamte began singing at the age of three and initially performed in churches and local programmes. She gained national attention in October 2020 after a video of her rendition of AR Rahman’s “Vande Mataram” was shared by former Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and later by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after which the video went viral.
In August 2021, she released a music video of the national anthem on YouTube featuring Assam Rifles personnel. The project was sponsored by the Assam Rifles. The video crossed three million views within a week and has since recorded more than 47 million views.
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In December last year, Hnamte performed “Vande Mataram” at the inaugural function of the Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav in the presence of Prime Minister Modi. During the event, the Prime Minister praised her performance. She also presented him with a Northeast mascot doll named “Poorvi”.
The youngest of three siblings, Hnamte has received several recognitions, including special appreciation from former Mizoram governor P S Sreedharan Pillai and the Young Achievers Award from Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited. In 2021, she was featured as the Amul Girl in an advertisement by the dairy cooperative.
A documentary on her life, titled A Star is Born, won the Best Documentary Award (Silver) at the Northeast Film Festival in 2023.
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