Who won the prestigious Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award in the year 2017?

Introduction / Context:
The Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award is an important Indian award named after the noted music director Hridaynath Mangeshkar, and questions related to it often appear under the honours and awards section of general knowledge. This question asks specifically about the year 2017 and the personality who received the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award in that year. The correct answer is Javed Akhtar, a renowned lyricist and scriptwriter in Indian cinema. Understanding such awards also helps candidates connect Indian cultural icons with the recognition they have received over time.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The award in focus is the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award. - The question targets the year 2017. - The options include famous personalities from Indian film and music industries. - Only one of these personalities is associated with receiving this award in 2017.

Concept / Approach:
To answer correctly, one has to identify which of the listed personalities was honoured with the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award in 2017. A good method is to link the award with the type of contribution it usually recognises, which is excellence in music, lyrics, or overall contribution to Indian art and cinema. Javed Akhtar is especially well known as a lyricist, poet, and writer whose work spans many decades. While Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar are legendary singers and Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher are acclaimed actors, the specific news item for 2017 highlighted Javed Akhtar as the recipient. Remembering newspaper headlines, exam capsules, or current affairs notes related to this award can immediately point to the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recall that the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award is associated with contributions to Indian music and cinema. 2. Remember that in 2017, news reports mentioned that lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar received this award. 3. Review the options and associate each person with their primary field, such as playback singing, acting, or writing. 4. Recognise that although Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar are very closely linked to the Mangeshkar family legacy, they were not the 2017 awardees. 5. Conclude that the only option that correctly matches the 2017 Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award is Javed Akhtar.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification approach is to think of common current affairs compilations and online practice questions for the year 2017. Many of them specifically mention Javed Akhtar receiving the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award and refer to his long association with Hindi film songs and scripts. Some sources also mention the event where he received the award in the presence of leading personalities from the film industry. If the candidate can recall such a snippet, it strongly confirms that Javed Akhtar is the correct choice. Another cross check is that Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle are more often seen in the role of family members or institutional figures during these ceremonies rather than recipients in the same period.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Asha Bhosle is a legendary playback singer and a member of the Mangeshkar family, but she was not the recipient of this award in 2017. Shabana Azmi is a highly respected actress known for parallel cinema and mainstream films, but there is no record of her receiving the 2017 Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award. Anupam Kher is a noted actor who has received many honours, yet he is not associated with this specific award in 2017. Lata Mangeshkar is the elder sister of Hridaynath Mangeshkar and one of the greatest playback singers in India, but she was not the person honoured with this award in the year given in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
The main confusion arises because the Mangeshkar family includes several world famous names, and aspirants sometimes assume that a family member must be the awardee. Another mistake is to mix up different cultural awards, such as national film awards, state honours, and private foundation awards, all of which might involve the same personalities in different years. Candidates may also confuse the year of the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award with other recognitions received by these artists. Maintaining a clear year wise list of major Indian awards and their recipients helps avoid such overlaps and gives greater confidence when answering questions of this type.

Final Answer:
The Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award for the year 2017 was conferred on Javed Akhtar.