‘Padma Bhushan Ajith Kumar’ Trends As Good Bad Ugly Actor Receives India’s Third-Highest Civilian Award

Tamil actor Ajith Kumar received his first Padma Bhushan honour today. The Good Bad Ugly actor, along with his family, arrived in the National Capital on April 28 to attend the ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. For the ceremony, the 53-year-old actor donned a crisp black and white suit. Videos and photos of him receiving the honour are now going viral on social media. 

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What caught the eye of social media users was the actor’s family, who gave the actor a standing ovation and clapped for him the loudest while seated in the audience. Ajith’s wife Shalini, with whom he completed 25 years of marital bliss on April 24, donned a solid purple coloured saree for the occasion. The proud star wife paired her look with a statement necklace. The couple’s 17-year-old daughter, Anoushka Kumar, and 10-year-old son also attended the ceremony.  

Along with Ajith Kumar, actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, Anant Nag, Jatin Goswami and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur were also awarded with Padma Bhushan. Singer Pankaj Udhas was also awarded the honour posthumously. His wife, Fareeda Udhas, received the award on his behalf.

The Padma Bhushan recipients were announced on the eve of Republic Day 2025. At the time, Ajith Kumar had penned a long note expressing gratitude for the honour. In his message, he wrote, “I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive the esteemed Padma Award by the President of India. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu and the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi , for this prestigious honour. It is a privilege to be recognised at such a level, and I am truly grateful for this generous acknowledgement of my contributions to our nation.”

Making a special note of his wife and children, he added,  “To Shalini, my wife and companion of nearly 25 wonderful years: Your partnership has been a joy and cornerstone of my success. And to my children, Anoushka and Aadvik: You are my pride and the light of my life, motivating me to set an example for how to do well and live right.”