Woman power gets prominence on Padma Awards list this year with actress Priyanka Chopra, archer Deepika Kumari, tennis queen Sania Mirza and badminton ace Saina Nehwal being honoured
New Delhi: On the eve of Republic Day, the government has announced the list for the Padma Awards 2016 and it seems girl power gets prominence on the list this year.
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Internationally acclaimed actress Priyanka Chopra and archer Deepika Kumari will be awarded with the Padma Shri this year, where as tennis queen Sania Mirza and badminton ace Saina Nehwal will be conferred with the Padma Bhushan.
Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal
Ace dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy and legendary classical singer Girija Devi will be honoured with Padma Vibhushan this year.
Famous filmmaker Aishwaryya R. Dhanush, the daughter of the Thalaiva of Indian cinema -- Rajnikanth, took to Twitter to bow down to girl power, saying, "Congratulating @MirzaSania on her padma award ! #girlpower"
"Big congratulations on your padma award @priyankachopra #girlpower," she tweeted. "Many congratulations on your padma award @NSaina .super duper proud of you my friend !!!"
Rajinikanth, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Dhirubhai Ambani and Jagmohan honoured with Padma Vibhushan
Actor Rajinikanth, media baron Ramoji Rao, former J-K Governor Jagmohan and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar awarded Padma Vibhushan.
Former US Ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill, sportspersons Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza and Indu Jain of Bennett, Coleman & Co get Padma Bhushan.
Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka Chopra get Padma Shri.
Reliance Industries founder late Dhirubhai Ambani awarded Padma Vibhushan.
The other Padma Vibhushan awardees are Yamini Krishnamurthi, Girija Devi and Dr Viswanathan Shanta.
Anupam Kher will be honoured with the third highest civilian award 'Padma Bhushan' for his contribution to the Indian cinema.
"It is the biggest achievement of my career and as a person,¿ stated the actor. ¿It reaffirms my belief that anything can happen if you work hard."
"Happy, Humbled & Honoured to share that i have been awarded The PADMA BHUSHAN by the Govt. of India. Greatest news of my life:) #JaiHind," the actor tweeted.
In the year 2004, this 60-year-old actor was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contribution to Indian cinema.
Kher made his acting debut in the 1982 Hindi movie 'Aagman'. But he got the limelight in 1984 with 'Saaransh', where 28-year-old Kher played a retired middle-class Maharashtrian man who has lost his son.
Other than appearing in hundreds of movies and several plays, the 'Bend It Like Beckham' actor held the post of chairman of Central Board of Film Certification and National School of Drama in India.
Other Padma Bhushan awardees this year include -- singer Udit Narayan, sculptor Ram Sutar, former CAG Vinod Rai, theatre personality Heisnam Kanhailal, managing editor of the Punjabi newspaper 'Daily Ajit' Barjinder Singh Hamdard, spiritual leader Swami Tejomayananda, sanskrit scholar Professor N S Ramanuja Tatacharya and Gastroenterologist Professor D Nageshwar Reddy.
Padma Awards were instituted in 1954 and except for brief interruptions during the years 1977 and 1980 and 1993 to 1997, these awards have been announced every year on Republic Day.