Nine distinguished individuals from Karnataka, including veteran actor Anant Nag and violin maestro Lakshminarayana Subramaniam, were among the 140 Padma awardees announced on Republic Day. Subramaniam was honored with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, for his exceptional contributions to the field of music. He expressed deep gratitude and dedicated the award to his father’s vision, noting how much he would have cherished this recognition. “It’s an honor, and I miss my father’s guidance,” he said.
Anant Nag, awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to Indian cinema, humbly dedicated the honor to the people of Karnataka. Reflecting on his career, he recalled his significant work in Kannada cinema and his pride in being part of a film with the legendary Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. He hopes the award will inspire the Kannada film industry to reach greater heights.
Journalist A Surya Prakash, who spent over five decades in media, was also recognized with the Padma Bhushan. Expressing his deep appreciation, he acknowledged the responsibility the award carries and thanked the President and Prime Minister for the honor.
Among the six Padma Shri recipients from Karnataka were Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej, pioneering breast cancer researcher Dr. Vijayalakshmi Deshmane, and the 96-year-old Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara, celebrated for her mastery of the ancient shadow puppetry artform, Togalu Gombeyaata. Shillekyathara, who began her journey at 14, continues to inspire through her family’s legacy.
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