Padma Awards 2026: Hema Malini receives Padma Vibhushan on behalf of late Dharmendra

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The first phase of the Padma Awards ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan has concluded for today. Several dignitaries from fields such as cinema, arts, and medicine were honoured during the event. The second phase of the ceremony will be held on a later date, which has not yet been announced.

Veteran actor and theatre thespian Arvind Vaidya was honoured with Padma Shri today. 

Apart from being a veteran theatre actor, he has also been part of several popular television shows. These include Khichdi, where he played Chandrakant Seth in a recurring role, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (2004–2006), in which he appeared as Madhusudan Bhai, and Instant Khichdi (2005), where he again portrayed Chandrakant Seth, Hansa’s father. More recently, he has been seen in Anupamaa.

Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee was honoured with Padma Shri today. The honour acknowledges his four decades of contributions to Bengali cinema.

Pandit Kumar Bose, Indian tabla maestro and composer of Hindustani classical music, was honoured with Padma Shri today. He is a leading exponent of the Benares gharan.

Bihar's folk singer, Bharat Singh Bharti, was awarded the Padma Shri by President Murmu.

Advertising legend Piyush Pandey was posthpomously honoured with Padma Bhushan. His wife, Nita Joshi, received the award on his behalf.

Uttar Pradesh's Dr N Rajam, renowned violinist, was honoured with Padma Vibhushan.

Ahana Deol, who was present at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, was in tears as her mother Hema Malini received Padma Vibhushan honour on behalf of her later father, Dharmendra. She was there with her husband Vaibhav Vora.

Dharmendra was posthumously conferred the Padma Vibhushan at the Padma Awards 2026. His wife, Hema Malini, received the honour on his behalf.

President Droupadi Murmu has arrived to present the Padma Awards at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Actor and politician Hema Malini spoke exclusively to India Today about her late husband Dharmendra being posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan at the Padma Awards 2026. Describing it as an emotional and proud moment for the family, she said the honour also carries a deep sense of sadness because the veteran actor is not alive to receive it himself.

Read the full story here.

Actor R Madhavan shared his gratitude after it was announced that he will be receiving the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honours. The actor, known for working across multiple film industries and languages, said the recognition was a deeply emotional and humbling moment for him.

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Malayalam cinema witnessed a moment of collective pride after Mammootty was named a Padma Bhushan awardee. The team of Padayaatra celebrated the honour on the film’s sets, marking the recognition during an important phase of the project.

On the sets of Padayaatra, filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan felicitated Mammootty by presenting him with a bouquet and draping a shawl over his shoulders as a mark of respect. The team later cut a cake to celebrate the occasion. Actors Grace Antony and Indrans, who play pivotal roles in the film, were also present.

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The first civil investiture ceremony of 2026 will take place at the Ganatantra Mandap of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday. The event will begin at 5:00 pm, with the ceremony airing live on Akashvani AIR's YouTube channel.

This year, the government approved 131 Padma awards, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri honours.

Veteran actor Dharmendra was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan this year, while Malayalam cinema stalwart Mammootty and celebrated playback singer Alka Yagnik received the Padma Bhushan. Bengali film icon Prosenjit Chatterjee, actor R Madhavan and late actor Satish Shah were awarded the Padma Shri for their contribution to Indian cinema and music at the Padma Awards 2026.

Read the full story here.