Bollywood shines bright at the Padma Shri awards

It was a moment of collective pride for Bollywood as four celebrities including actress Kangana Ranaut, director-producer Karan Johar, television mogul Ekta Kapoor, and singer Adnan Sami were conferred the Padma Shri award at a ceremony led by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind in Delhi. The prestigious Padma Shri award, announced each year on Republic Day, is the fourth highest civilian award given to citizens of India who made a distinguished contribution in fields such as arts, medicine, education, and sports. Here’s a look at those talents who were honoured this year and a few others who have already been given this distinction in the past. While many won’t come as a surprise, a few names might make you sit up and take notice:

Karan Johar: Top Bollywood producer, director, and catty TV host Karan Johar is a happy man. Taking to his social media right after being decorated by the Indian President, Johar whose credits include ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, wrote on his Instagram page: “About last evening…. A truly memorable moment in my life….. I knew I would have made my father so proud and was so happy to have my mom there by my side…. My babies asked me “Dada you won a medal? “ and I replied “yes I did I hope you do too one day”.” The filmmaker, who is known for his glamorous love stories and stirring star-studded tales of heartbreak, also gave a big shout out to top Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra for styling him that evening in black.

Kangana Ranaut: Trust Kangana Ranaut to turn her vote of thanks into a charged declaration about how this award is symbolic of her progress against those who stood in her way. In a video message, Ranaut spoke about how the Padma Shri was a nod to her being an ideal citizen of India. “I am grateful. When I had started my career at a young age, it took me around 8-10 years to taste success. But when I finally became successful, I did not enjoy that but launched myself into other issues. I shunned fairness products, items numbers, working in movies with popular male leads and with production houses. I made more enemies than I made money … I took on forces that are against my country. This award will shut many people up,” said Ranaut in Hindi.

Adnan Sami: Singer Adnan Sami was thrilled to have met the Indian Prime Minister at the ceremony. He was equally chuffed about being conferred the Padmashri honour. “I am grateful to the Government of India for this prestigious ‘Padmashri Award’. I am forever indebted to my beautiful people of India who’ve loved me unconditionally & been an integral part of my journey which has brought me till here! Luv you all,” wrote Sami on his Instagram account.

Ekta Kapoor: Bollywood producer of television serials and films described her Padma Shri award as her career’s landmark moment. “It is an absolute honour to receive the Fourth Highest Civilian Award for my humble contribution in the field of performing arts. It is a surreal moment and a matter of great pride … They [My family] believed in me with their whole heart and it is because of them, I am who I am!,” wrote Kapoor on her social media account. She also posted a series of images from the ceremony along with her doting actor-dad Jeetendra. “I want to thank my family, friends, my team at Balaji Telefilms and most importantly - the audience, for believing in me and supporting me. I hope to always push the envelope, challenge norms, give talents a platform that they truly deserve, instill pride and give back to the country that has fueled my ambition and dreams,” she added.

Sarita Joshi: This veteran actress, who is popular for playing Baa in the hit TV show 'Baa Bahu Aur Baby', was honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri honour at a ceremony in Delhi this year. Her daughter and actress Purbi Joshi gave her talented and versatile mother a big shout out. She wrote: "What a proud moment for the entire family! My mother Sarita Joshi is being honored by the President of India, the honorable Mr. Kovind, with one of the highest civilian awards - the “Padma Shri.”” She also expressed her pride at her mother's milestone moment and wrote: “Ma your talent, energy and dedication to the craft knows no bounds, as does your love for all of us. To the world outside you’re known as the celebrated legend Sarita Joshi, one of the finest actors and performers our country has produced, with an illustrious career spanning theatre, TV and films. But for me you are the world’s best mother, my constant companion and supporter. You are a true force of nature and a source of inspiration.”

Shah Rukh Khan: While these are the five Bollywood talents who received the Padma Shri at this year’s ceremony, there have been several A-listers who is already the recipient of the fourth highest civilian honour. On top of our list is actor Shah Rukh Khan who was conferred the Padma Shri in 2005. At that point, he had acted in cult hits such as ‘Chak De! India’ and ‘Devadas’.

Saif Ali Khan: Bollywood royalty Saif Ali Khan, whose credits include ‘Omkara’ and ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2004. While many questioned his eligibility for the award at that point, there’s no denying his blazing talent on-screen.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Akshay Kumar: In 2009, actors Rai Bachchan and Kumar were given this prestigious honour. During the same year, we also saw the iconic dancer and actress Helen being conferred with the Padma Shri.

Vidya Balan: The National Award-winning Indian actress is an ace at taking on women-centric movies such as ‘Kahaani’ and ‘The Dirty Picture’. So it came as no surprise when in 2014, the government of India gave her the Padma Shri nod. She continues to make bold choices when it comes to her career.

Sridevi: Her sudden death at the age of 54 left her army of fans shocked, but her legacy still remains untouched. The ‘first female superstar’ of Indian cinema, who has acted in over 300 films, was conferred the Padma Shri award in 2013. She was also awarded her career’s first National Award posthumously for her thriller ‘Mom’.

SP Balasubramanyam: Speaking of receiving awards posthumously, singer SP Balasubramanyam was also conferred the Padma Shri this year. Fondly called SPB, this beloved singer has sung over 40,000 songs in over 16 languages.