By IANS
New Delhi : Forty-nine recipients, including Bollywood singing sensation Asha Bhonsle, actress Madhuri Dixit, artist Amarnath Sehgal (posthumous), Hollywood filmmaker Manoj “Night” Shymalan, actor Tom Alter and French writer Dominique Lapierre lead the list of artistes in the Padma awards announced Friday.
The list embodies a nation’s homage to Indian arts, literature and entertainment – with one of the highest number of such awardees named since the prestigious civilian honours was instituted in 1954.
What sets the list apart this year is the fact that India remembered several unsung performing and visual artistes in the list like eminent Khasi author from Meghalaya Helen Giri, Sufi exponent from Punjab, Hans Raj Hans, and classical dance exponents like Jatin Goswami of Assam and Gangadhar Pradhan, an Odissi dancer credited with setting up the biggest dance and culture academy in his state.
Jatin Goswami specialises in the dance-dramas performed by the 15th century disciples of Mahant Shankardeva, a devotee of Lord Krishna.
The list also includes eminent sculptor and artist (late) Amarnath Sehgal, who died this month. According to the visual arts fraternity: “The award for Amarnath Sehgal, often called the Henri Moore of India, was long overdue. He was the one who had campaigned for the artist’s right to retain his work and won a landmark case in court against the government of India.”
The list of awardees in the arts and literature sections has even representation from across the states and includes a healthy mix of all disciplines – education, visual and performing arts and literature.
Last year, writer-journalist Khushwant Singh, poet Neeraj, lyricist Javed Akhtar, US-based litterateur and educationist Raja Rao (posthumous), Prof Giriraj Kishore and Kerala-based artist Ramankutty were among the artists, literary and entertainment luminaries honoured.
Reactions in Bollywood and elsewhere in the entertainment industry to Asha Bhonsle’s inclusion, ranged from “joy to euphoria”. The refrain was: “It is not enough”. The actress who has devoted her whole life to Bollywood deserved nothing less.
From “Piya tu ba to aaja”, Dum maro dum” to “Kambakth Ishq”, singing diva Asha Bhonsle, whose career spans almost 60 years, has been enthralling listeners with her vivacious numbers. She has bagged many prestigious awards, including the National Award and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award. From Madhubala to Helen to reigning super heroines like Kareena Kapoor and Urmila Martondkar, Asha Bhonsle’s evergreen voice bound them all.
In contrast, Madhuri Dixit was a rather surprise entry. The actress who made a comeback after five years in Anil Mehta’s “Aaja Nachle” was “rather low” on the priority list. “But going by her contribution and the number of hits she has churned out, we guessed it was justified,” said a Bollywood insider without wanting to be named.
The ’90s heartthrob has several mega hits to her credit, including “Tezaab”, “Dil” “Dil To Pagal Hain” and “Devdas”.
What touched many hearts particularly those of the vast community of artists, performers and literary personalities of Indian origin abroad was the tribute to young Hollywood-based film-maker Manoj “Night” Shyamalan, writer Kaushik Basu and Indophile Russian artist Gennadi Mikshailovich, who has spent several years working with ethnic artists in India.
Born in India and raised in suburban Penn Valley of Philadelphia, Manoj ‘Night’ Shyamalan, the son of doctor parents, has carved a niche for himself in Hollywood with films like the “Wide Awake” (1998), “The Sixth Sense” (1999), “The Signs” (2002) and “The Village” (2004).