Padma Awards: "RRR" music composer MM Keeravaani, actor Raveena Tandon among recipients
New Delhi, Jan 25: Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, "RRR" music composer MM Keeravaani, actor Raveena Tandon, and singers Suman Kalyanpur and Vani Jairam were among 106 recipients of the coveted Padma Awards for the year 2023 announced on the eve of Republic Day.
According to an official statement, Hussain, also a composer and percussionist, was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan, awarded for exceptional and distinguished service. The acclaimed musician had received Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan in 1988 and 2002, respectively.
Jairam and Kalyanpur were announced recipients of the Padma Bhushan, presented for distinguished service of high order.
Jairam, who broke onto to the music scene with the song "Bole Re Papihara" from Jaya Bachchan's debut as a leading lady in the 1971 film "Guddi", has done playback for over a thousand Indian movies, recording over 10,000 songs across languages such as Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, and Bengali, among others.
Kalyanpur, known for songs such as "Na Tum Hamen Jano" and "Aajkal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche", was one of the top singers of the time along with the late melody queen Lata Mangeshkar. A popular singer in the 1960s and 1970s, Kalyanpur recorded popular tracks for movies in several languages including Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, and Punjabi.
Keeravaani and Tandon were conferred with the Padma Shri, an award for distinguished service in any field.
Keeravaani, who last week received the Golden Globe award for the Telugu song "Naatu Naatu" from the epic period action drama "RRR", only yesterday scooped up an Academy Award nomination for the track making it the first Indian song to reach the final five in the best original song category.
The renowned music composer predominantly works in Telugu cinema but has credits across Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam film industries.
Tandon, star of movies such as "Mohra", "Satta", and "Daman" in the 1990s and 2000s, dedicated the Padma Shri honour to her late father, film producer Ravi Tandon.
"It is always a wonderful feeling to have one's work appreciated and honoured by one's country. Such appreciation may, at first glance, feel like the reward that signifies the culmination of my journey, it is anything but," said the actor, who made her digital debut with the 2021 Netflix series "Aranyak", in a statement.
"... For this will spur me on to bigger and greater things in the field that I so love. This is a special day. My country has honoured me. I feel that I belong. Thank you, India! I owe this to my father," Tandon, also an environmentalist, added.
Padma awards, one of the highest civilian awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
These honours are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, such as - art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
Padma awards are conferred by the President at ceremonial functions which are held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March or April every year.
For 2023, the President has approved conferment of 106 Padma awards, including three duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one).
The list comprises six Padma Vibhushan, nine Padma Bhushan and 91 Padma Shri Awards. Nineteen of the awardees are women and the list also includes two persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and seven posthumous awardees.
The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
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Karnataka power tussle: BJP leader calls Siddaramaiah 'Sultan for 15 days'
Bengaluru/Bagalkot (PTI): In the midst of the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, senior BJP leader and MP Govind Karjol called CM Siddaramaiah "Pandrah din-ka-Sultan" (Sultan for 15 days), and said after that, he will not be the chief minister of the state.
Speculation has once again surfaced within the Congress party and political circles about a possible decision on leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, once the results for Assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, are announced.
"With the fight for the CM chair in the Congress, there seems to be no administration at Vidhana Soudha. The result for Siddaramaiah's CM chair fight will also be declared, along with election results for five states (four states and one union territory) and bypoll results for Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly seats in Karnataka," Karjol, a former Deputy CM, said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "As per today's information, Siddaramaiah is a Sardar for fifteen days, he is Pandrah din-ka-Sultan, after that Siddaramaiah will not be the chief minister of the state."
Stating that Shivakumar is ready to take up the top job, the MP said that this is the reason Siddaramaiah's supporters have gone to New Delhi to meet the Congress President.
"Already 40-odd legislators have lobbied in support of Siddaramaiah; about 50 are lobbying in support of Shivakumar. Amid this fight for the CM chair, the administration has completely collapsed," he said, urging the government to focus on addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer by releasing at least Rs 50 crore per district.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Monday met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary (in charge of Karnataka) Randeep Surjewala in New Delhi and requested them to address the speculation regarding the change of leadership in Karnataka.
Subsequently, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa too met the party leadership in Delhi.
Both Jarkiholi and Mahadevappa are considered close to Siddaramaiah.
While MLAs and leaders who want Shivakumar to be elevated as CM have recently claimed they expect some "sweet news" by May 15, which is their leader's birthday.
Meanwhile, a team of 40 MLAs is preparing to visit New Delhi to press the Congress high command for a Cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka hit out at the Congress leadership for indulging in "power tussle" instead of addressing the people's concerns. He called the government "anti-people" and "dead" to the people of the state.
With the fight for the CM chair, the ruling Congress in Karnataka seems to be shifting to Delhi. Congress MLAs are repeatedly touring Delhi, upset over the state leadership amid a power struggle between the CM and Deputy CM. This proves that there is no value for the state leadership," he said.
Pointing out that the Deputy CM Shivakumar was not present at the recent special cabinet meeting, which decided on internal reservation among SCs, the opposition leader said, "If the cabinet meeting was held purposely, despite knowing that Shivakumar was in Delhi, it proves that there are factions within the party"
"This government is dead in a way," he said, as he hit out at the Congress MLAs and Ministers, including Shivakumar, for doing "Delhi Yatras" instead of addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer, picking up in the state.
