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Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards: Kuchipudi exponents among 7 honoured; 94 artistes awarded
A total of 94 artistes from varied fields of performing arts were also presented with the Akademi awards for the corresponding period
New Delhi: Legendary Kuchipudi dancing couple Raja and Radha Reddy and Goan folklorist Vinayak Khedekar were among the seven eminent artistes to be bestowed with the Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship for 2022 and 2023 on Wednesday. A total of 94 artistes from varied fields of performing arts were also presented with the Akademi awards for the corresponding period.
President Droupadi Murmu, who presented the prestigious awards and fellowships, during a ceremony at the Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, highlighted the role of artistes in awakening society through their art.
“Artistes have been challenging stereotypes and prejudices through their art. They have been awakening society through their art. Our arts are the best example of India’s soft-power which is why it is part of India’s foreign policy,” Murmu said, adding there are many examples when artistes used their art for social welfare.
Congratulating the recipients of Akademi’s fellowship and awards, the president said they “will continue to enrich the Indian art tradition through various forms and genres of music and drama.”
The general council of Sangeet Natak Akademi, also known as National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, selected the fellows and awardees last month.
The fellows are folklorist and author (Padma Shri) Vinayak Khedekar, veena player R Visweswaran, Kathak dancer Sunayana Hazarilal, Kuchipudi dancing couple (Padma Bhushan) Raja and Radha Reddy, theatre director Dulal Roy, and playwright DP Sinha.
A total of 94 eminent artistes in the field of performing arts expressed in the form of music, dance, drama, folk and tribal arts, puppetry and allied theatre art forms received the Akademi awards for 2022 and 2023.
The Akademi awards, conferred since 1952, not only symbolise the highest standard of excellence and achievement, but also recognise sustained individual work and contribution, the Union ministry of culture said in a release. “Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) is the highest honour given to eminent artist in the field of performing arts for his/her exceptional contribution to his/her performing art form,” it added.
The honour of Akademi fellow carries a purse money of ₹3 lakh while the Akademi award carries a purse money of ₹1 lakh, besides a tamrapatra (souvenir) and angavastram (stole).
Union culture minister G Kishan Reddy and MoS culture Arjun Ram Meghwal also attended the ceremony.
