The Padma Awards ceremony held on Monday evening at Rashtrapati Bhavan saw some of the biggest names from Indian entertainment in the spotlight. President Droupadi Murmu personally presented the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri to a distinguished list of recipients from cinema, music, and theatre.
Emotional Moments at the Ceremony
The evening carried an emotional touch as legendary actors Dharmendra and Satish Shah were honoured posthumously. Meanwhile, celebrated personalities including R Madhavan, Mammootty, and Alka Yagnik were absent from the function.
Hema Malini Receives Dharmendra's Posthumous Padma Vibhushan
Dharmendra was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, with his wife Hema Malini receiving the honour on his behalf on Monday. Satish Shah was conferred the Padma Shri, while adman Piyush Pandey was recognised with the Padma Bhushan. Yumnam Jatra Singh from Manipur and R Krishnan were also among those honoured with the Padma Shri.
Dharmendra, whose career spanned more than 65 years, passed away on November 24 last year, just days before he would have turned 90. He had previously been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2012. Satish Shah, who enjoyed a celebrated acting career spanning nearly five decades, passed away on October 25 last year at the age of 74.
Alka Yagnik and Mammootty Receive Padma Bhushan; R Madhavan Gets Padma Shri
A total of 44 awards were presented to stalwarts from the entertainment industry during the ceremony. Singer Alka Yagnik and Malayalam superstar Mammootty were conferred the Padma Bhushan by the President of India. Telugu actors Rajendra Prasad and Murali Mohan, multilingual actor R Madhavan, Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, and singer Tripti Mukherjee were among those honoured with the Padma Shri.
Mammootty, who was most recently seen in Patriot alongside his friend and fellow Padma awardee Mohanlal, had earlier received the Padma Shri in 1998. For Madhavan, who was last seen in Dhurandhar, this marks his first Padma honour. The same goes for Alka Yagnik, who received the prestigious recognition for the first time.
Padma Awards 2026 Honour 131 Individuals Across Fields
The Padma Awards ceremony on May 25 saw 131 distinguished individuals from diverse fields being recognised for their exceptional contributions. The honours included five Padma Vibhushan awards, 13 Padma Bhushan awards, and 113 Padma Shri awards, celebrating excellence across a wide range of disciplines.
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