The Padma Awards 2026 were announced today, on the eve of Republic Day, by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). While veteran actor Dharmendra was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously, Malayalam superstar
Mammootty received the Padma Bhushan award for his contribution to the film industry. Meanwhile, R Madhavan, Murali Mohan and Rajendra Prasad were conferred with Padma Shri Awards. Soon after the announcement was made, Jr NTR penned a note congratulating all the Padma awardees.
Jr NTR Congratulates Padma Awardees
On Sunday evening, Jr NTR took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a note that read, “Heartiest congratulations to all the #PadmaAwards 2026 winners. What an incredible honour… A moment of pride as legend Dharmendra ji is conferred with the Padma Vibhushan.” He further added, “Very proud to see our Telugu cinema stalwarts Murali Mohan garu and Rajendra Prasad garu being conferred with the Padma Shri. Your contributions stand tall and timeless.”
Jr NTR then congratulated Mammootty for the Padma Bhushan honour, and R Madhavan for the Padma Shri. “Congratulations to @mammukka sir on receiving the Padma Bhushan for inspiring generations through decades of remarkable work. @ActorMadhavan sir, a well-deserved recognition for your versatility and contribution to Indian cinema.”
Heartiest congratulations to all the #PadmaAwards 2026 winners. What an incredible honour…
A moment of pride as legend Dharmendra ji is conferred with the Padma Vibhushan.
Very proud to see our Telugu cinema stalwarts Murali Mohan garu and Rajendra Prasad garu being conferred…
— Jr NTR (@tarak9999) January 25, 2026
Lastly, he applauded India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur and former Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma for the Padma Shri. “And cheers to sports stars @ImRo45 & @ImHarmanpreet on their well-deserved Padma Shri. Your passion and excellence light up the nation… Jai Hind!” he wrote.
Hema Malini’s Note
Meanwhile, Hema Malini took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a note, celebrating Dharmendra’s posthumous Padma Vibhushan honour. She wrote, “So so proud that the govt has recognised Dharam ji’s immense contribution to the film industry by bestowing on him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award.” While late actor Dharmendra has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously, he was earlier honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2012 for his contributions to the film industry.
In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Hema Malini spoke about Dharmendra’s posthumous Padma Vibhushan honour and said, “I got the news in the morning. This makes me feel so proud of him. He has done a lot of contribution to the film industry. As an actor, and as a human being too, he has been such a wonderful person. He would always help people, and that was extraordinary. He deserves this.” However, she added that the honour could have arrived a bit earlier. “He deserved it much earlier as well. Anyway, that they have given now is itself a matter of great honour,” she said.


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