Thiruvananthapuram

Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty met Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his family shortly after being conferred the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, during the second Civil Investiture Ceremony held in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The interaction between the veteran actor and the Prime Minister drew widespread attention, with both sharing warm messages on social media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared photographs from the meeting and wrote, "Met the noted actor Mammootty and his family after the Padma ceremony earlier today."

Responding to the meeting, Mammootty expressed his gratitude, saying, "Grateful for this memorable interaction with Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji alongside my family. A moment to cherish forever."

Mammootty attended the ceremony with his wife Sulfath, daughter Surumi and actor-son Dulquer Salmaan. Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu presented him with the Padma Bhushan in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other dignitaries were present at the ceremony.

Reacting to the prestigious honour, Mammootty said he was "deeply humbled and honoured" to receive the Padma Bhushan and conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India.

Describing the award as a reflection of his five-decade-long journey in cinema, the veteran actor said the recognition would not have been possible without the unwavering love, trust and support of his audience.
"An honour like this is a reflection of a five-decade-long journey that wouldn't exist without you, my incredible audience. Thank you for the endless love, trust and support that keeps me going every single day," he said.

Dedicating the Padma Bhushan to the world of cinema and to his countless admirers, Mammootty said the recognition belonged as much to the people who had stood by him throughout his illustrious career as it did to him, making it one of the most cherished moments of his life.

A total of 65 Padma Awards were presented during the ceremony, including one Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan and 56 Padma Shri honours. Among the prominent awardees from Kerala were V. S. Achuthanandan and Vellappally Natesan.

Achuthanandan was posthumously honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, while former Supreme Court judge K. T. Thomas also received the Padma Vibhushan.

Celebrated playback singer Alka Yagnik was conferred the Padma Bhushan, while actor and filmmaker R. Madhavan received the Padma Shri. Actors Prosenjit Chatterjee and Satish Shah were also among those honoured with the Padma Shri.

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