Bharat Gupt
A classicist, theatre scholar and sitar player known worldwide for his work comparing ancient Greek and Indian drama, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Delhi
Heroes in Art
Showing 25–48 of 254 heroes
Bharat Singh Bharti
A Bhojpuri folk singer and teacher, an AIR artist since 1962 whose songs were made famous by Sharda Sinha, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Bihar
Bheru Singh Chouhan
A Malwa folk singer who has kept the Kabir Nirgun singing tradition alive through more than 6,000 village performances, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Madhya Pradesh
Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda
A Warli musician from Palghar who has played and made the tarpa, a gourd wind instrument, for over seven decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Maharashtra
Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara
A Koppal leather puppeteer who has staged the epics in shadow play for seven decades, in India and abroad, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Karnataka
Bhuri Bai
A Bhil painter from Jhabua who went from labourer at Bharat Bhavan to one of the best-known artists of her tradition, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Madhya Pradesh
Binod Kumar Pasayat
A Sambalpur barber who became one of the best-known poets and songwriters in Sambalpuri, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024. He died in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Odisha
Binod Maharana
A Puri artist who has practised and studied Pattachitra painting for 50 years and trained over 300 artists, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Odisha
Biren Kumar Basak
A Phulia master weaver who arrived as a refugee child and built a Tangail and Jamdani sari business, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- West Bengal
Bishwa Bandhu
A Bihar dancer and teacher who founded the Surangan institute and taught dance free for six decades, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026 (posthumous)
- Bihar
Bombay Jayashri Ramnath
A Carnatic vocalist who also sings Hindustani music and ghazals, and earned an Oscar nomination for a song in Life of Pi, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Tamil Nadu
Chandraprakash Dwivedi
A doctor turned film-maker known for the television epic Chanakya and the films Pinjar and Mohalla Assi, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Rajasthan
Chintalapati Venkatapathi Raju
An Etikoppaka toymaker who revived lacquered wooden toys coloured with natural, lead-free dyes, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Andhra Pradesh
Chiranjeevi
A Telugu film star with 155 films over 45 years whose charitable trust runs blood and eye banks, honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2024.
- Padma Vibhushan 2024
- Andhra Pradesh
Chiranji Lal Yadav
A Moradabad brass engraver who has practised the finest carving styles for over 50 years and trained 500 young people, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Uttar Pradesh
Coomi Nariman Wadia
India's first woman choral conductor, who has led Mumbai's Paranjoti Academy Chorus for over five decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Maharashtra
D. Umamaheswari
A Harikatha storyteller in Telugu and Sanskrit, known as the first woman to perform it in Sanskrit, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Andhra Pradesh
Damodaran Kaithapram
A Malayalam lyricist, music director and Carnatic singer who has written more than 1,500 film songs over 30 years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021
- Kerala
Darshanam Mogilaiah
A Telangana folk singer who plays a 12-step kinnera of his own design and sings old ballads of kings, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Telangana
Dasari Kondappa
One of the last players of the burra veena, a Telangana folk instrument, who has kept its songs alive for 50 years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Telangana
Deepika Reddy
A Kuchipudi dancer and teacher, the first woman to chair the Telangana Sangeet Natak Akademi, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Telangana
Dharmendra
The Hindi film star of Sholay who acted in more than 300 films and served as an MP, honoured posthumously with the Padma Vibhushan in 2026.
- Padma Vibhushan 2026 (posthumous)
- Maharashtra
Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya
A Vadodara storyteller who has kept Gujarat's Maanbhatt aakhyan tradition alive for over 70 years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Gujarat
Dilshad Hussain
A Moradabad master of nakkashi, the engraving of metal vessels, who has trained hundreds of artisans, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Uttar Pradesh