Vijay Amritraj, Mammootty, Rohit Sharma, Alka Yagnik take home Padma awards President Droupadi Murmu presented the second set of 65 Padma awards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 23, 2026, honoring individuals across diverse fields for their exceptional contributions. The ceremony, held at the Ganatantra Mandap, marked the continuation of the annual civil investiture event, following the first ceremony on May 25, which had awarded 66 of the 131 total Padma awards announced on Republic Day. The awards, which include the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri, recognize outstanding achievements in art, science, public affairs, sports, and other disciplines. Among the recipients were tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, actor Mammootty, cricketer Rohit Sharma, and playback singer Alka Yagnik, who were honored with the Padma Bhushan. Sharma, who led India to victory in the 2025 T-20 World Cup, received the award for his sports contributions, while Yagnik was recognized for her work in the music industry. Amritraj, a former Wimbledon champion, and Mammootty, a veteran Malayalam actor, were also celebrated for their respective fields. The Padma Vibhushan, the highest civilian honor, was conferred on former Supreme Court judge K. T. Thomas for his work in public affairs and on Malayalam journalist P. Narayanan for his contributions to literature and education. Additionally, American oncologist Dattatreyudu Nori and industrialist S.K.M. Maeilanandhan were awarded the Padma Bhushan, as were social worker Vellappally Natesan and Rupi Soren, who received the honor on behalf of her late husband, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder Shibu Soren.#droupadi_murmu #rohit_sharma #vijay_amritraj #mammootty #alka_yagnik
"I thought of jumping from moving car": Sivaramakrishnan on how racism scars led to depression Former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has shared a deeply personal account of his mental health struggles, linking his period of severe depression to years of racial discrimination and colour-based remarks. During his time as a cricket commentator, Sivaramakrishnan described feeling so overwhelmed that he “didn’t want to see himself in the mirror” and feared he “was going to die.” He recounted how his routine collapsed during the IPL held in the UAE during the Covid-19 lockdown, when he would shut himself indoors, lose track of time, and rely on alcohol to cope. “I would have a couple of drinks and go to sleep because I could not bear anything. Whenever I was awake, I thought I was going to die,” he said. Sivaramakrishnan detailed the haunting moments when he felt suicidal, including instances where he considered jumping from a moving car while traveling in Dubai. “Sometimes when we were traveling in Dubai, there’s no speed limit. If the vehicle went very fast, something in my mind would tell me to just open the door and jump out. Somehow, something stopped me from doing anything silly,” he recalled. Sleep became a torment, with recurring hallucinations that left him terrified. “You close your eyes, you see images that you can’t imagine. All very frightening. You open your eyes, there’s nothing. But you’re so tired that you want to sleep. You close your eyes for a while, then again, open your eyes. So there goes your sleep.” He admitted that alcohol worsened his condition, trapping him in a cycle of despair. The former spinner also revealed how racism affected his career, even during his 23-year stint as a commentator.#laxman_sivaramakrishnan #desmond_haynes #malcolm_marshall #vijay_amritraj #gordon_greenidge
