Ajith, Balakrishna, Shobana and Anant Nag: The 4 South filmstars awarded Padma Bhushan this year

Of the 19 Padma Bhushan awardees, four were prominent actors from the South Indian film industries: Anant Nag from Karnataka, Nandamuri Balakrishna from Andhra Pradesh, and Shobana Chandrakumar and Ajith Kumar from Tamil Nadu. We take a look:

1. 01

   Anant Nag, 76

   Legendary Kannada actor Anant Nag (born Anant Nagarkatte) got one of his first breakthrough roles in veteran film director Shyam Benegal’s debut, the National Award-winning Ankur (1974). Both Benegal and the film became pioneering forces behind the “parallel” movement of the Hindi film industry, which prioritised realism and critique of social hierarchies over the mainstay of glitz and glamour in Bollywood.

   Anant Nag (left), Smita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Amol Palekar in 'Bhumika'. (Express archives)

   Nag would achieve incredible success in his “home” industry of Sandalwood (the moniker for the Kannada film industry), where he straddled both the commercial and critical spheres. In a 2017 interview with Scroll, Nag spoke of this dichotomy: “When you are a professional actor, you cannot sustain yourself through parallel cinema alone. It simply does not pay. So, once the ball set rolling, I wasn’t afraid of taking chances. I knew that the years I had toiled in theatre, learning from the best in the field, will stand me in good stead no matter what. It has done so for 45 years.”

   Some of his most famous works include Nishant (1975), Accident (1984), Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016), and the “pan-India” blockbuster KGF films. Nag is the elder brother of another Kannada pop culture icon, Shankar Nag: the duo worked together on many projects, including the televised adaptation of R K Narayan’s short story collection Malgudi Days.

   Nag also dabbled in politics. He has often talked about being inspired by Jayaprakash Narayan, and the leader’s youth-centric ideas of social justice. He was associated with the erstwhile Janata Dal and was an MLA and an MLC, besides serving as the Bangalore Urban Development Minister in the state government led by former Chief Minister J H Patel from 1996 to 1999. He withdrew from politics after unsuccessfully contesting the 2004 Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections on a Janata Dal (Secular) ticket.

2. 02

   Nandamuri Balakrishna, 64

   Balakrishna, popularly referred to as ‘Balayya’ by his fans, is a Telugu actor most famous for his larger-than-life movies in the ‘masala’ genre. A son of Telugu screen legend and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR), Balakrishna debuted in his father’s directorial Tatamma Kala (1974). He starred alongside his father in other films like Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977) and Akbar Salim Anarkali (1979), before finding solo success in ventures like Aditya 369 (1991), Narasimha Naidu (2001) and most recently, Daaku Maharaj (2025).

   Nandamuri Balakrishna. (File photo)

   Balakrishna is also an MLA from the Hindupuram constituency in Andhra Pradesh and is a member of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), founded by his father in 1982 and currently led by his brother-in-law and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

   Balakrishna has often been involved in controversies: in 2004, he allegedly shot at Telugu film producer Bellamkonda Suresh and another person. The Hyderabad police arrested him but both Bellamkonda and his associate later retracted their statements. In 2024, Balakrishna found himself at the centre of a controversy after a video surfaced where he allegedly pushed actress Anjali on the stage during a promotional event. Anjali later issued a clarification over the viral clip.

3. 03

   Shobana Chandrakumar, 54

   Actor-dancer Shobana Chandrakumar, known as Shobana, is a two-time National Award winner from Kerala. In a career that has spanned four decades and multiple languages, Shobana has received acclaim for her work across diverse genres like comedy, drama, thriller and romance, as well as for her talents in dance.

   Bharatanatyam dancer Shobana performs in Pune. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)

   She is best known for her performances as Lalita in Rudraveena (1988); Maya in Innale (1990); Subbalakshmi in Thalapathi (1991); Ganga/Nagavally in Manichitrathazhu (1993), her first National Award-winning turn that inspired several remakes including Bhool Bhulaiyya (2007) in Hindi; and Lakshmi in Mitr, My Friend (2001), for which she was awarded the National Award the second time.

   Speaking of her experience in the Malayalam film industry, where she started at the age of 14, Shobana earlier told Behindwoods TV, “Despite all the discomforts, it was a great learning experience working with the likes of Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Priyadarshan, Bharathan, Bhadran, Balu Mahendra, and Aravindan. Their scripts taught me everything. Not everyone gets such opportunities.”

   She has also worked with acclaimed directors such as P Padmarajan, Fazil, Mani Ratnam and K Balachander. Shobana was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Kalaimamani (the highest civilian award in Tamil Nadu) in 2011. More recently, she has reduced her film appearances to focus on her career as a Bharatnatyam exponent and currently runs the Kalarpana dance institute in Chennai.

4. 04

   S Ajith Kumar, 53

   Ajith Kumar, mononymously known as ‘Ajith’, is an actor and racing driver who has achieved significant success in both fields. In his three-decade career, he has transitioned from a '90s romance hero to someone who carved a niche in the action and masala genres. Coming from a non-film background, Ajith achieved critical acclaim and commercial success with roles in Aasai (1995), Vaali (1999), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), Mankatha (2011), Yennai Arindhaal (2015), and Nerkonda Paarvai (2019).

   Ajith and Shalini in 'Amarkalam'. (Express archive photo)

   He also enjoys a sizeable fan following, one which often gets into ‘wars’ with the fan base of his acting contemporary and ‘rival’ Vijay. In an unprecedented move at the peak of his fame in 2011, Ajith disbanded his fan clubs – often the driving force behind sustaining an actor’s fame. His decision stemmed from groups allegedly using his name for political reasons ahead of the Tamil Nadu State Assembly elections. In 2021, Ajith also disowned the moniker ‘Thala’ (‘leader’ in Tamil).

   He recently rekindled his passion for racing, debuting with his team Ajith Kumar Racing in the FIA 24H Series in the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Category in 2025. Reacting to his Padma Bhushan honour, Ajith thanked his family members in a statement, adding, “To all my fans, supporters, and well-wishers: Your unwavering love and support have fueled my passion and dedication. This award is as much yours as it is mine.”

In 2024, veteran actress and dancer Vyjayanthimala Bali (Tamil Nadu) and Telugu actor Konidela Chiranjeevi (Andhra Pradesh) were prominent names from the film industry to be awarded the Padma Vibhushan.

Actors Mithun Chakraborty (West Bengal), Rajdutt (Maharashtra) and Captain Vijaykanth (Tamil Nadu; posthumously), music composer Pyarelal Sharma (Maharashtra) of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo, and singer Usha Uthup (West Bengal) received the Padma Bhushan.