New Delhi buzzed with pride on the eve of Republic Day as the Central Government unveiled a prestigious list of 131 Padma Award recipients. This year’s honors spotlight legends from politics, sports, and Hindi cinema, with Bollywood icon Dharmendra Deol receiving the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for his enduring contributions to Indian cinema.
The list also features television and film veteran Satish Shah, honored posthumously, alongside actor R. Madhavan. In the classical music realm, violin maestro Dr. N. Rajam earns the Padma Vibhushan for her five decades of elevating Indian music on global stages, including her tenure as a professor at Banaras Hindu University.
Playback singer Alka Yagnik, known for over 20,000 songs across multiple languages, bags the Padma Bhushan. South Indian cinema stalwart Mammootty, adman Piyush Pandey (posthumously), and multilingual poet R. Ganesh also receive Padma Bhushan accolades.
Padma Shri goes to Anil Kumar Rastogi, the beloved Bapuji from TV’s ‘Anupama,’ whose six-decade career spans theater, television, films, and OTT. Other recipients include Bhojpuri folk singer Bharat Singh Bharti, Tarpa player Bhiklya Ladkya Dhinda, late folk artist Vishwa Bandhu (posthumous), artisan Chiranji Lal Yadav, dancer Deepika Reddy, actor Gaddde Rajendra Prasad, and Bhapang player Gafuruddin Mewati Jogi.
The roster extends to classical singer Garimella Balakrishna Prasad, vocalists Gayatri and Ranjani Balasubramaniam, late director Hari Madhav Mukhopadhyay (posthumous), Mohiniyattam guru Vimala Menon, tabla maestro Pt. Kumar Bose, R. Madhavan, politician-actor Murali Mohan, Assamese singer Pokhila Lekthepi, Bengali star Prosenjit Chatterjee, Satish Shah (posthumous), santoor player Tarun Bhattacharya, mridangam expert Tiruvarur Bakthavatsalam, and classical vocalist Tripti Mukherjee.
These awards celebrate unsung heroes and icons who have enriched India’s cultural tapestry, reminding us of the nation’s vibrant artistic heritage on Republic Day.