Chiranjeevi, Vyjayanthimala Bali receive Padma Vibhushan from President Droupadi Murmu

Dressed in a yellow sari, Vyjayanthimala accepted the honour with the utmost grace.

President Droupadi Murmu presents Padma Vibhushan in the field of Art to Dr. Vyjayantimala Bali. She is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and played leading roles in popular Hindi and Tamil movies. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honours. Dr. Vyjayantimala Bali has also… pic.twitter.com/HaPEUZbY4o

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 9, 2024

Padma Awards: Vijayakanth, Vyjayantimala, Venkaiah Naidu, Chiranjeevi, among recipients

Multi-talented Vyjayanthimala

A senior student of the Carnatic music doyen DK Pattammal, Vyjayanthimala is a dancer-musician who created an unbreakable bond between moves and melody.

Vyjayanthimala is best remembered as a performer from the so-called “Golden period of Natya and Sangita” of the 1960s and 1970s.

She is renowned for having played at the Music Academy’s annual festival for almost 30 years at a stretchy, sharing a prominent spot with the other two legends of that era: Kamala Lakshman and T Balasaraswati.

At 16 years old, Vyjayanthimala debuted on the big screen in the 1949 Tamil film Vaazhkai.

In 1968, she received the Padma Shri — the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour — for her last Hindi film Ganwaar.

Also Read: Was Megastar Chiranjeevi denied his due by MAA?

Chiranjeevi’s message

Among the many superstars of the South, Chiranjeevi has worked in more than 150 films in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada.

Among his popular films are Indra, Tagore, Swayam Krushi, Gang Leader, Stalin, and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy.

Reacting to the award announcement, Chiranjeevi put out a one-minute video on X (formerly Twitter) in January this year.

Nothing can ever be enough, Chiranjeevi remarked, adding that he always tried to show his gratitude in whichever manner he could.

The Rudraveena actor also said that he had tried his hardest to continuously entertain his audience throughout his 45-year career.

President Droupadi Murmu presents Padma Vibhushan in the field of Art to Shri Konidela Chiranjeevi. He is a popular actor who has touched the lives of people through his films and humanitarian services. Shri Chiranjeevi has served as a Member of Parliament and Union Minister. He… pic.twitter.com/fAQThmfBG0

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 9, 2024

For those who are unaware, the Central government announced the recipients of the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri awards on the eve of Republic Day.

The Padma Vibhushan award for 2024 went to Vyjayanthimala Bali, former vice-president M M Venkaiah Naidu, and Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi.

Dancer Padma Subrahmanyam and Sulabh Foundation founder and chairman Bindeshwar Pathak (posthumous) were the other two awardees.

Among the 17 recipients of the Padma Bhushan were singer Usha Uthup, actor Mithun Chakraborty, Foxconn CEO Young Liu, former Union minister and BJP leader Ram Naik, former Tamil Nadu Governor Fathima Beevi (posthumous), and Tamil actor and DMDK founder Vijayakanth (posthumous).