CHENNAI: DMDK founder and actor Vijayakant was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan, along with 16 others, on Thursday by the union government. He was part of more than 150 films and founded the DMDK in the year 2005.
Veteran actor and dancer Vyjayantimala (90) and Bharatanatyam exponent Padma Subrahmanyam (80) were among the Padma Vibhushan awardees.
Valli Oyil Kummi folk dance exponent M Badrappan, has been given Padma Shri for preserving and promoting Kummi dance and addressing social issues through his performance.
Badrappan will receive the award along with squash player Joshna Chinnappa and writer Joe D Cruz, a novelist from Chengalpattu who has worked extensively with the fishermen community across coastal Tamil Nadu.