The government of India announced its customary list of Padma awardees on 25 January, the eve of Republic Day.
The figures from the field of cinema who have been honoured this year include Victor Banerjee and Madhur Jaffrey, who have been conferred with the Padma Bhushan; and Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, Sowcar Janaki and Sonu Nigam, on whom the Padma Shri has been bestowed.
The Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri are the third and fourth-highest civilian awards respectively of the Republic of India.
Banerjee started off in the Bengali film industry in the 1980s, working with the likes of Satyajit Ray and Asit Sen. He has also starred in acclaimed Hindi films such as Shyam Benegal’s Kalyug (1981) and Lekh Tandon’s Doosri Dulhan (1983). In a career spanning 45 years, he has appeared in around 100 films.
Jaffrey, an actress, writer and television personality, is known for starring in Merchant Ivory Productions' Shakespeare Wallah (1965), The Guru (1969) and Heat and Dust (1983).
Dwivedi was the director and actor behind the classic Doordarshan television series Chanakya. He has also helmed the critically acclaimed movie Pinjar (2003). The upcoming Akshay Kumar-starrer Prithviraj has also been directed by him.
The filmmaker said in a statement, "I’m deeply humbled to have been bestowed with the prestigious Padma Shri award. I have been fortunate enough to creatively collaborate with some of the best minds of the Hindi film and television industry. They have enriched me, pushed my boundaries and made me better creatively. I share this huge moment of my life with all these people who have shaped me and my thinking."
The 90-year-old Sowcar Janaki has acted in a number of Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies. Some of her notable films as a lead actress include Shavukaru (1950), Valayapathi (1952) and Rojulu Marayi (1955).
Sonu Nigam is one of the iconic singers from mainstream Hindi cinema. After starting off as a television host in musical shows, he went on to become a renowned voice for some of the biggest actors, including Shah Rukh Khan.