Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam
A Carnatic mridangam master who has accompanied four generations of musicians and won the Sangita Kalanidhi in 2021, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Tamil Nadu
Heroes from Tamil Nadu
People from the state of Tamil Nadu whose work we have profiled.
Showing 49–57 of 57 heroes
Thiruvengadam Veeraraghavan
The North Chennai 'five rupees doctor', who ran evening clinics for a token fee for 45 years, honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri in 2021.
- Padma Shri 2021 (posthumous)
- Tamil Nadu
V. Kamakoti
The director of IIT Madras, who led the team behind SHAKTI, India's first indigenous microprocessor, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Tamil Nadu
Vadivel Gopal and Masi Sadaiyan
Two Irula snake catchers whose catches supply venom for antivenom, and who hunted pythons in Florida; jointly honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Tamil Nadu
Vani Jairam
A singer who recorded film songs in 19 languages, from 'Bole re papihara' to Tamil classics, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2023. She died that year.
- Padma Bhushan 2023
- Tamil Nadu
Veeraswamy Seshiah
A Chennai doctor who started India's first diabetology department and a simple test for diabetes in pregnancy, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Tamil Nadu
Velu Aasaan
A Madurai parai drummer who learned at 10 and has trained thousands and taken the folk drum to stages abroad, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Tamil Nadu
Vijayakant
A Tamil film star of 154 films known as "Captain" who founded the DMDK, honoured posthumously with the Padma Bhushan in 2024.
- Padma Bhushan 2024 (posthumous)
- Tamil Nadu
Vyjayantimala Bali
A Bharatanatyam dancer and one of Hindi cinema's great stars of the 1950s and 60s, later an MP, honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2024.
- Padma Vibhushan 2024
- Tamil Nadu