Padma Awards: Victor Banerjee awarded Padma Bhushan; Sowcar Janaki, Sonu Nigam honoured with Padma Shri

On the eve of Republic Day, The Ministry of Home Affairs released the list of Padma award winners. The highest civilian awards are conferred on deserving citizens who have contributed to society in the fields of art, civil service, social work, public affairs, engineering, and more. Under the art category, veteran actors Victor Banerjee and Sowcar Janaki have been honoured for their stellar work spanning decades. Celebrated singer-composer Sonu Nigam was bestowed with a Padma award for his contribution to art.  

Victor Banerjee was honoured with the Padma Bhushan for his work spanning almost five decades. Having been part of films directed by world-renowned filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, David Lean, Shyam Benegal and Roman Polanski, Victor has won a National Award for his performance in Ray's Ghare Baire. Incidentally, Victor holds the unique honour of being the only Indian filmmaker to have won the National award in three different categories (acting, cinematography, and direction).   

Sowcar Janaki, who was awarded the Padma Shri, has acted in over 450 films across languages like Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu. The 90-year-old actress has received multiple state awards from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh governments (before bifurcation). She is known for films like Uyarndha manithan (1968), Kaaviya Thalaivi (1970), and Iru Kodugal (1969(. Janaki was also a theatre actor and has been part of shows of notable theatre writers like K Balachander. Sowcar Janaki has also received Tamil Nadu state government's Kalaimamani Award.

On the other hand, Sonu Nigam, who is known for his stellar work in the field of music, was honoured with the Padma Shri. One of the most celebrated singers of India, Sonu is not just known for his work in Hindi cinema, but also has a much-loved discography in Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, and Odia among other Indian languages. Apart from his singing career, Sonu is also known for his avatar as a composer for films like Jal, Half Widow, and Singh Saab The Great, and for hosting some of the most-watched reality shows in India including the Sa Re Ga Ma music show.  

Another addition to the list of film personalities to win the Padma award is director Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who is best known for directing the 1991 series, Chanakya. Known for his love for Indian literature, Chandraprakash Dwivedi has adapted Indian epics and stories of Indian warriors to TV and the big screen. He has also directed the award-winning Pinjar (2003), the controversial Mohalla Assi (2018). He is currently working on Akshay Kumar's upcoming historical, Prithviraj. 

Among the awardees are renowned personalities like late CDS General Bipin Rawat and former UP CM Kalyan Singh who have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan.