Prosenjit Chatterjee, Pt Kumar Bose and Tripti Mukherjee receive Padma honours

Celebrating excellence across cinema, music, sports and public service, President Droupadi Murmu presented 66 of the 131 Padma Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan during the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I on Monday evening. Among the prominent personalities honoured were actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, who received the Padma Shri, para athlete Praveen Kumar and veteran actor Arvind Vaidya. Hema Malini accepted the Padma Vibhushan (posthumous) on behalf of Dharmendra, while legendary violinist N Rajam was also conferred the Padma Vibhushan. Adman Piyush Pandey was awarded the Padma Bhushan (posthumous) for his contribution to the industry, with the honour received by his wife, Neeta Joshi.
My first feeling was that I am back to zero and must begin again: Prosenjit Chatterjee, Padma Shri
This recognition goes beyond Bengali cinema – it feels like an honour for Indian cinema, and I’m proud to represent it. Receiving this award as an actor is deeply meaningful. It also reminds me that I’m back to zero – there’s still so much to learn, and I want to remain a student of cinema all my life. My father (veteran actor Biswajit Chatterjee), told my son (Trishanjit) that this is the first Padma award in our family and that he must carry the legacy forward. It was an emotional moment for all of us. I miss my mother deeply today; she fought the hardest for me. I see this award not just as mine, but as a tribute to my audience worldwide, especially my Bengali audience, who have stood by me through every phase.

Prosenjit’s outfit by Abhisek Roy
“Prosenjit opted for an outfit in a tussar muga shade, which is strongly associated with Bengali culture and aesthetics,” says designer Abhisek Roy, adding, “The ensemble featured double-layered embroidery inspired by the architecture and ambience of a theatre hall, incorporating elements resembling a proscenium setup, with pillar detailing integrated into the design.” He adds, “Subtle pillar motifs were also woven into different parts of the outfit. Tussar silk was used as the base fabric, with both the kurta and dhoti crafted in the same fabric and colour palette.”

Pt Kumar Bose, Padma Shri
Speaking to CT when the Padma Awards were announced this year on Republic Day, Pt Kumar Bose said, “Any award is heartwarming for an artiste as it validates years of discipline, perseverance and unwavering commitment to the craft. This wouldn’t have been possible without my guru’s teachings and my family’s support.”

Tripti Mukherjee, Padma Shri
Tripti Mukherjee, a Kantha artisan from Birbhum was honoured for reviving the craft over three decades while empowering more than 20,000 marginalised women through skill development, opportunities and efforts to preserve the heritage art form.