Padma Bhushan for Aamir, Rahman

The list of Padma Awards has been declared. Here are some of the prominent names from the art & entertainment industry who have got the national honour.

Padma Vibhushan: Veteran actress Zohra Segal started her career as dancer with legendary dancer Uday Shankar in 1935, and worked with him for the next eight years. She has appeared in many Bollywood films as well as English language films and television series. She is most known for her appearances in Bhaji on the Beach (1992), The Mystic Masseur (2001), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Dil Se (1998) and Cheeni Kum (2007); and the TV series, The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Tandoori Nights (1985-87), Amma And Family (1996). Considered a doyenne of Indian theatre, she acted with Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), and Prithviraj Kapoor's Prithvi Theatre for fourteen years, during the period travelled over India, with the troupe.

She was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1998, Kalidas Samman in 2001, and in 2004, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, awarded her with its highest award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement.

Padma Vibhushan: Famous Indian theatre director Ebrahim Alkazi was the founding head of the India's premier theatre training institute, National School of Drama, New Delhi. He was associated with training many well-known film and theatre actors including Om Shivpuri, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Manohar Singh, Uttara Baokar, Jyoti Subhash, Suhas Joshi, B. Jayashree, Jayadev and Rohini Hattangadi.

He has directed over 50 plays, including famous productions of: Girish Karnad's Thuglaq, Mohan Rakesh's Ashadh Ka Ek Din and Dharmvir Bharati's Andha Yug. He has received awards including the Padma Shree, Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for his contribution to theatre.

Padma Vibhushan: Umayalpuram K Sivaraman is one of the topmost Mridangam artists of the day.

Padma Bhushan: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has been awarded the Padma Bhushan award on the occasion of 60th Republic Day. The 44-year-old Khan, who made his directorial debut with the critically-acclaimed Taare Zameen Par in 2007, recently came out with 3 Idiots that has become the highest-earning movie in Bollywood.

Padma Bhushan: The Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman, who made us proud by winning the Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, has been awarded the Padma Bhushan award. Rahman, in a career spanning over a decade, has sold more than 100 million records of his film scores and soundtracks worldwide, and sold over 200 million cassettes, making him one of the world's all-time top selling recording artists.

Padma Bhushan: Well-known music composer Ilaiyaraaja will also be receiving Padma Bhushan along with Rahman this year. He has been a prominent composer of film music in southern Indian cinema since the late 1970s. His work integrated Tamil folk lyricism and introduced broader Western musical sensibilities into the South Indian musical mainstream. He has thrice won the Indian National Film Award for best film scoring.

Padma Bhushan: Contemporary Indian artist Akbar Padamsee has also been honoured with the Padma Bhushan this year.

Padma Bhushan: Hindistani classical singer Pandit Chhannulal Mishra is a noted exponent of the Kirana gharana of the Hindustani classical music and especially the Khayal and the Purab Ang - Thumri. He has been awarded the 'Shiromani Award' of Sur Singar Sansad, Bombay; Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award; Naushad Award of U.P. Govt., and the Bihar Sangeet Shiromani Award.

Padma Bhushan: The daughter of classical danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai and renowned space scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika is an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer. She is also known for her contributions in the fields of theatre, television, film, writing and publishing.

Padma Bhushan: Ustad Sultan Khan is an Indian sarangi player and singer, who plays Hindustani classical music. He is one of the members of the Indian fusion group Tabla Beat Science, with Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell. He has won numerous musical awards, including twice the Sangeet Natya Academy Award, also known as the President's Award, as well as the Gold Medalist Award of Maharashtra, and the American Academy of Artists Award in 1998. In 1997 he was requested to perform at Prince Charles 50th birthday celebrations.

Padma Shri: Noted for her versatility as an actress, Rekha was particularly recognised for playing female-oriented characters, such as that of the school-girl in Khubsoorat and the decisive avenger in Khoon Bhari Maang, both of which earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Her portrayal of a classical courtesan in Umrao Jaan won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. Rekha has acted in over 180 films in a career that has spanned 40 years. She has reinvented herself numerous times in her career and is known for her ability to sustain her status. Taking part in both Indian mainstream and art cinema, known in India as parallel cinema, she has achieved commercial success, as well as critical praise for numerous of her performances throughout the years.

Padma Shri: Sound designer, sound editor and mixer Resul Pookutty won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire. He has worked for Hollywood, Bollywood and Malayalam film industries.

Padma Shri: Handsome hunk of Bollywood, Saif Ali Khan rose into prominence with his performance in Dil Chahta Hai (2001), which marked his professional turning point. His performance in Nikhil Advani's Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) won him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award, and he won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Hum Tum (2004). He then had commercial success with films like Salaam Namaste (2005), Race (2008) and Love Aaj Kal (2009), and starred in critically acclaimed projects such as Parineeta (2005) and Omkara (2006). These successes put him among the most successful actors in the industry. Since 2009, Khan has branched out into film production. He is the founder-owner of his production company Illuminati Films.