Gemini AI edited.
New Delhi: Former chief minister of Kerala and veteran communist leader V S Achuthanandan and actor Dharmendra have been awarded the second-highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan, posthumously for 2026, a government statement said Sunday, according to PTI.
On Republic Day eve, the government announced 131 Padma awards for 2026, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri, which include two cases in which the award for two individuals is counted as one. Former Supreme Court judge KT Thomas for public affairs, Hindustani Classical musician and violinist N Rajam in Art, eminent Malyalam journalist P Narayanan in literature and education have been awarded Padma Vibhushan, it said.
Playback singer Alka Yagnik, former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, actor Mammootty, and banker Uday Kotak are among those awarded Padma Bhushan, the Home Ministry said. Guru Piyush Pandey, JMM founder Shibu Soren, and BJP leader VK Malhotra have been awarded Padma Bhushan, while actor and comedian Satish Shah has been awarded Padma Shri, posthumously, it said.
Ninety awardees are women, and the list includes six persons from the category of foreigners, NRI, PIO, and OCI, and 16 posthumous awardees, it said.ennis legend Vijay Amritraj has been awarded Padma Bhushan; cricketer Rohit Sharma, women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and hockey player Savita Punia have been awarded Padma Shri, the statement said.
Former JNU VC M Jagadesh Kumar, former Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, and actors R Madhavan and Prosenjit Chatterjee are also among those awarded Padma Shri, the ministry said.
Mammootty said that he was "very happy" on hearing the news and that there was "nothing greater than the country honouring one." Fondly called 'Mammukka' by his fans and those close to him, the 74-year-old actor described the award as "unexpected" while speaking to a TV channel here.
Wishes began pouring in on social media as news spread about the award, which was conferred on the superstar for his contributions to the field of art.