Heroes in Art (page 7)

Nidumolu Sumathi

A mridangam player, the only woman in All India Radio's top grade, who accompanied M. S. Subbulakshmi, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Andhra Pradesh

Nirmal Rishi

A Punjabi actress of stage and screen for six decades, loved as Gulabo Massi in Long Da Lishkara, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Punjab

Nirmala Devi

A Muzaffarpur artisan who trained women in Sujni embroidery and won the craft a GI tag, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Bihar

Nuruddin Ahmed

An Assamese sculptor and set designer who has designed sets for over 450 mobile theatre plays and 75 films, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
Assam

Omprakash Sharma

An Ujjain writer, director and composer who revived the Maach folk theatre of Malwa, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Madhya Pradesh

P. Datchanamoorthy

A Puducherry thavil player, son of a nadaswaram artist, who has played at more than 5,000 temples, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Puducherry

Padma Subrahmanyam

A dancer and scholar who drew on the Natyashastra and temple sculpture to create the Bharatanrityam style, honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2024.

Padma Vibhushan 2024
Tamil Nadu

Padmaja Reddy

A Kuchipudi dancer who has given over 3,000 shows and revived the medieval Kakatiyam dance from an old text, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.

Padma Shri 2022
Telangana

Pandi Ram Mandavi

A Bastar woodcarver who has taken Muria tribal wood art to museums and galleries in India and abroad, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Chhattisgarh

Pankaj Udhas

The ghazal singer famed for "Chitthi Aayi Hai", who also championed thalassemia care, honoured posthumously with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.

Padma Bhushan 2025 (posthumous)
Maharashtra

Pareshbhai Rathwa

A Pithora painter from Chhota Udaipur who has taken his community's ritual wall art to galleries and metro walls, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

Padma Shri 2023
Gujarat

Parshuram Atmaram Gangavane

A Thakar Adivasi artist from Sindhudurg who has kept his community's string puppetry and Chitrakathi alive, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Maharashtra

Parshuram Komaji Khune

A Zadipatti folk theatre actor from Gadchiroli who has played some 5,000 roles over 50 years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

Padma Shri 2023
Mann Ki Baat #97
Maharashtra

Pindipapanahalli Munivenkatappa

A master of the tamate, a Dalit folk hand drum of old Mysuru, who has played it since he was 17, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

Padma Shri 2023
Mann Ki Baat #97
Karnataka

Piyush Pandey

The adman who led Ogilvy India and created campaigns such as Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, honoured posthumously with the Padma Bhushan in 2026.

Padma Shri 2016
Padma Bhushan 2026 (posthumous)
Maharashtra

Pokhila Lekthepi

A Karbi singer and songwriter from Karbi Anglong who has sung Karbi folk and modern songs since the 1970s, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
Assam

Prabha Atre

A Kirana gharana vocalist, composer and teacher who reshaped Hindustani vocal music, honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2022. She died in 2024.

Padma Vibhushan 2022
Maharashtra

Pran Sabharwal

A Patiala actor and theatre organiser who has led the National Theatre Arts Society since 1953, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.

Padma Shri 2024
Punjab

Premjit Baria

A Diu painter and art teacher of 37 years whose students won international children's painting awards, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

Padma Shri 2023
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Pritikana Goswami

A Kolkata master of nakshi kantha embroidery who has trained about 300 women in the craft, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.

Padma Shri 2023
West Bengal

Prosenjit Chatterjee

The Bengali film star known as Bumba Da, with more than 400 films over four decades, from Chokher Bali to Jubilee, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.

Padma Shri 2026
West Bengal

Purisai Kannappa Sambandan

A fifth-generation Therukoothu artist from Purisai who took Tamil street theatre to Paris and Bogota, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.

Padma Shri 2025
Tamil Nadu

Purnamasi Jani

A Kui poet from Kandhamal whose devotional songs carry messages against superstition and child marriage, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.

Padma Shri 2021
Odisha

Pyarelal Sharma

One half of the composing duo Laxmikant–Pyarelal, who scored more than 800 films over six decades, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2024.

Padma Bhushan 2024
Maharashtra