Amitabh, Dilip Kumar conferred Padma Vibhushan

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Legendary actor Dilip Kumar and megastar Amitabh Bachchan were Sunday named for the Padma Vibhushan honour on the eve of 66th Republic Day Saturday.

They have been announced as the recipients of the honour, which is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, in the category of art.

Dilip Kumar, who real name is Yusuf Khan, became a name to reckon with in the 1950s and 1960s, thanks to his performance in "Aan", "Daag", "Devdas", "Madhumati","Paigham", "Mughal-E-Azam", "Ganga Jamuna", "Leader" and "Ram Aur Shyam".

After working for about six decades, he bid adieu to arclights in 1998. His last movie was "Qila".

Amitabh, who is known as the Shahenshah of the Hindi silver screen, has also delivered some exceptional performances in his over four decade-long film career. With movies like "Deewar", "Agneepath", "Sholay" and "Don", the actor has carved a special place for himself.

The 72-year-old actor is also known for his performances in "Black" and "Paa". With an endeavour to add more variety in his career, the screen icon will be seen in movies like "Shamitabh", "Piku" and "Wazir" this year.