Mammootty conferred Padma Bhushan 2026: Kamal Haasan pens emotional 'Tamil history' tribute

The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the Padma Awards 2026 on January 25, 2026, honoring 131 individuals. Malayalam superstar Mammootty received the Padma Bhushan. Sharing an emotional tribute was Kamal Haasan, who compared their friendship to Tamil history. Other major entertainment winners include Dharmendra with a posthumous Padma Vibhushan, Alka Yagnik with a Padma Bhushan, and R Madhavan with a Padma Shri.

The awardees were announced prior to Republic Day. However, the awards are to be honored at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi later in the year.

Kamal Haasan’s heartfelt wish for Mammootty

Soon after Mammootty won the Padma Bhushan Award, actor and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan shared an endearing message on X (formerly Twitter).

Kamal Haasan referred to Mammootty as his “dear friend” and noted how the two have never acted together despite having a strong bond of respect, admiration, and honest criticism for years. KamalHaasan, in fact, described the two as “Kopperunchozhan and Pisirandaiyar,” the eternal intellectual friendship that Tamil history has celebrated.

Kamal Haasan's mutual respect for Mammootty

In his message, Kamal Haasan additionally conveyed a soft remorse by stating that he realized that they should have met more frequently in person during all those years. Besides showing professional esteem, he also talked about the cultural and emotional bond between their fans and expressed the desire that his own fans could become fond of Mammootty as well.

As an enthusiastic and lifelong admirer of Mammootty, Kamal Haasan took to social media to celebrate the actor's latest milestone with great joy. In a heartfelt post, Haasan affectionately greeted his contemporary as "Padma Bhushan Mammootty," offering high praise for the prestigious national honor. The message quickly went viral, resonating deeply with fans across the Tamil and Malayalam film industries, who appreciated the rare and sincere warmth shared between the two icons.

Nationwide congratulations pour in for Padma awardees

The 2026 honors list also features significant recognition for Bengali cinema icon Prosenjit Chatterjee and the late veteran actor Satish Shah, both of whom received the Padma Shri.

Mammootty and Kamal Haasan on the work front

After delivering a brilliant performance in 'Kalamkaval', Mammootty made a cameo appearance in 'Chatha Pacha'. The veteran actor has several films lined up, including 'Padayaatra' marking his reunion with Adoor Gopalakrishnan. On the other hand, Kamal Haasan is preparing to begin 'KH232' with Anbariv following a hiatus of six months.

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