Padma Bhushan is the country’s third highest award honoring civilians for their brilliance in different fields.

Media reached Ilayaraja’s residence after the news spread. Reports congratulated the music maestro and also bombarded him with questions which he responded by saying:

"I am touched and happy by your good wishes and enthusiasm on my award. I thank you all. I also thank the Indian government for this honor."

A R Rahman, too, was jubilant at receiving the honor and said, “I’ m overwhelmed that I have received the honor at the same time that Raja sir has got it. It is a great personal statement for me. He has played for my father Sekhar and I have played under Raja sir. It is a family thing for me.”

List of other winners of Padma Bhushan Award
Indian government has short listed 43 personalities from the different walks of life for the awards ceremony.

Actor Aamir Khan and Indian-American editor Fareed Zakira were also among the people who received the Padma Bhushan award.

Other prominent figures that made it to the Padma awardees list include: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Y V Reddy, film stars, Saif Ali Khan and Rekha, theatre personalities Zohra Segal and Ebrahim Alkazi and Dr Ramakant Panda, the surgeon who operated on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year.

Controversy over inclusion of NRI Chatwal in Padma list
Featuring of US-based Indian hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal’s name in Padma awardees list created lot of unwanted controversy.

Deputy Leader of the opposition, Gopinath Munde, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister asking why Chatwal’s name featured on India’s highest civilian honors list.

The Controversy broke over the fact that Chatwal had recently faced a trial in an alleged bank fraud of $9 million case for which he was arrested too.

However, Chatwal said that he felt “thrilled” with the honor.