Padma Awards 2025: Balakrishna, Ajith Kumar, Arijit Singh, Shekhar Kapur Honoured by President Droupadi Murmu

The prestigious Padma Awards 2025 ceremony took place on Monday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards to several distinguished personalities from different fields, including cinema and music. Among the well-known names were Nandamuri Balakrishna, Ajith Kumar, Shekhar Kapur, Arijit Singh, and Ricky Kej. In a touching moment, the late Pankaj Udhas was also honoured posthumously, with his wife accepting the award on his behalf.

The event witnessed a grand gathering of Indian celebrities who came together to celebrate excellence. Nandamuri Balakrishna proudly wore traditional Andhra Pradesh attire while receiving his Padma Bhushan. On the other hand, Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar chose to attend the event in a formal suit, adding grace to the occasion. Director Shekhar Kapur and renowned dancer-actress Shobhana were also awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Singer Arijit Singh and music composer Ricky Kej were honoured with the Padma Shri for their incredible contributions to Indian music. The entire ceremony was streamed live on YouTube, allowing fans and followers from across the world to witness the proud moments. Besides artists, achievers from fields like sports, medicine, and business were also recognised during the event.

Ajith Kumar had earlier shared his feelings about the honour when the announcement was made in January. In his heartfelt statement, he said, “I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive the esteemed Padma Award by the President of India. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu and the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for this prestigious honour. It is a privilege to be recognized at such a level and I am truly grateful for this generous acknowledgment of my contributions to our nation.”

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur also expressed his gratitude on social media. Sharing his emotions on X (formerly Twitter), he posted, “What an honour! Am humbled that the Government of India has considered me to be deserving of a #Padmanbhushan. Hopefully this award will make me strive harder to serve the Industry that I am part of, and the beautiful Nation that I am so fortunate to belong to. Thank you also to our film audiences of India, for I am because you are.”

The Padma Awards 2025 truly celebrated the spirit of dedication, excellence, and contribution towards the country.