India’s prestigious Padma Awards 2026 will honour several well known personalities from the entertainment industry this weekend in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu will present the awards during the first Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 25.

This year, the Government of India has announced 131 Padma honours, including 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards. The Padma Awards, instituted in 1954, are among the country’s highest civilian honours. They are given to individuals for exceptional work in fields such as arts, literature, sports, science, medicine, public affairs and social work.

Among the biggest names being honoured this year are veteran actor Dharmendra, Malayalam superstar Mammootty and playback singer Alka Yagnik.

Late Hindi cinema legend Dharmendra will receive the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. The actor is remembered for iconic films such as Sholay, Chupke Chupke and Phool Aur Patthar. He remains one of the most admired stars in Indian cinema history.

Malayalam cinema icon Mammootty has been selected for the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian cinema. The actor has worked in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi films over a career spanning several decades. He had earlier received the Padma Shri in 1998.

Actor R. Madhavan will be honoured with the Padma Shri. Popularly known as “Maddy”, he is known for films such as Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, 3 Idiots and Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. He also won a National Award in 2023 for Rocketry.

Late actor Satish Shah will receive the Padma Shri posthumously. Known for his comic timing, Satish Shah became a household name through television shows such as Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi and FIR. He also appeared in films including Main Hoon Na, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.

Playback singer Alka Yagnik will receive the Padma Bhushan for her contribution to Indian music and cinema over the years.

Bengali cinema star Prosenjit Chatterjee has been selected for the Padma Shri. One of the leading stars of Bengali cinema, he has acted in more than 350 films during a career spanning nearly five decades.

Veteran theatre and film actor Anil Kumar Rastogi will also receive the Padma Shri. Apart from theatre, he is known for films such as Ishaqzaade, Thappad and Mulk. He is also recognised for his contribution to science and academics.

Veteran actor and director Arvind Vaidya is another Padma Shri recipient this year. He has worked in theatre and films for more than six decades and is widely respected for his contribution to performing arts.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan once again became one of the biggest highlights at the Cannes Film Festival with her glamorous appearances and confident style choices. A regular at Cannes for many years, the actor impressed fans with a series of elegant outfits that quickly became the talk of social media. While many people praised her fashion choices, a section of the internet also criticised her looks. Actor and politician Kangana Ranaut stepped forward to support Aishwarya and strongly reacted to the trolling.

Kangana shared a message on Instagram saying that fashion is a personal choice and every woman has the right to express herself in her own way. She praised Aishwarya’s Cannes looks and said people should stop expecting women to dress according to public opinion. Kangana also pointed out that older women deserve to be celebrated on red carpets and in the fashion world. Her comments received attention online and many users agreed with her support for Aishwarya.

Representing L’Oréal Paris as a global ambassador, Aishwarya first appeared on the Cannes red carpet in a dramatic blue gown designed by Amit Aggarwal. The outfit featured a unique sculptural design inspired by the idea of moving light and energy. She paired the look with soft curls, pink toned makeup, bright red lipstick and diamond jewellery with blue stones, creating a striking appearance that stood out instantly.

Later, Aishwarya changed into a soft pink gown designed by Sophie Couture for the “Lights On Women’s Worth” event. The outfit included floral details and a flowing cape, adding a graceful touch to her evening look. Celebrities like Eva Longoria, Ariana Greenblatt and Amy Jackson also attended the event.

For the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Aishwarya chose a stylish white tuxedo inspired outfit with feather details and a matching feather boa. Her curly hairstyle completed the classy and confident look that once again proved why fans often call her the Queen of Cannes.

Apart from Aishwarya’s fashion, her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan also grabbed huge attention this year. Aaradhya made her official red carpet debut alongside her mother at a special event during the festival. Wearing a ruby red gown with a matching cape, she confidently posed for photographers and quickly became one of the most talked about moments from Cannes.

Huma Qureshi recently spoke about the challenges faced by women led films in Bollywood during her appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. The actress shared her views on how female oriented projects still do not receive the same financial support and large budgets that films with male stars usually get.

During an interaction with Brut India at Cannes, Huma spoke about the need for more original female focused stories in Indian cinema. She highlighted India’s cultural diversity, mythology, and storytelling traditions as strong sources for such narratives.

When asked if audiences have become more accepting of women centric films and whether more Hindi adaptations of female led projects could be made, Huma replied, “I hope we don’t do any remakes. I hope we do more original content. We have so much potential in our country to have our own kind of female forward narrative. We have such a diverse country. Look at our mythology, culture. Look at the stories that come from our country. I feel like the focus should be on that constantly.”

The actress also spoke openly about the industry’s perception that women led films have limited box office potential. According to Huma, this mindset still affects how such films are financed and promoted.

She said, “Honestly, if you ask me, it’s something that I am also going through or struggling with right now. Where we don’t get the kind of budgets that male movie stars get. There’s always that bias that female films have a certain box office potential.”

When asked whether this kind of bias still exists today, Huma answered, “Yes, definitely. Maybe people wouldn’t say it as much, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And that’s something you have to constantly navigate.”

The actress added that female actors across the industry are continuously trying to push boundaries and improve opportunities for future generations. She explained, “But the only way to break that is to keep going through and just constantly keep working. And not just me, I feel so many of my female colleagues are constantly pushing that envelope and pushing hard to change the reality for not just themselves in their careers, but also for many others that will follow through.”

On the work front, Huma Qureshi will next be seen in Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, directed by Geetu Mohandas*. The film stars Yash in the lead role along with Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, and Sudev Nair.