Rani Abbakka honours for Indira Hegde, Winny

Writer Indira Hegde and theatre artiste Winny Fernandes have been chosen for this year's Rani Abbakka award and Rani Abbakka Puraskara respectively.
The awards, carrying a cash prize of Rs 20,000 each, would be presented to them by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at a function to be held as part of the two-day Rani Abbakka Utsav to be held at Thumbe near here on January 25.
Indira Hegde, hailing from Kinnigoli, has to her credit three novels 'Amayaki,' 'Odaluguri,' and 'Maantana,' besides collections of short stories and poems, a release said.
Winny Fernandes from Kulshekar started her acting career at the age of 15 in the film 'Akhanda Brahmachari Galu.' She was associated with the Tulunadu Nataka Mandali for two years and had acted in award-winning Kannada films like 'Nayi Neralu' and 'Gulabi Talkies' and Tulu films 'Kadala Mage,' 'Rickshaw Driver' and 'Madime,' the release said.

Rani Abbakka, the one-time queen of Tulunadu based at Ullal, is described as one of the earliest freedom fighters of the country who fought the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century.