Padma Shri: Adnan Sami conferred with Indian National Award

Pakistani musician, who became Indian citizen in 2016, was feted with the honour by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind

Bollywood personalities Adnan Sami and Kangana Ranaut are a few names being honoured with the Padma Shri on Monday in a ceremony held at Dehli's Rashtrapati Bhavan (President House), reported Hindustan Times.

They were feted with the honour by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. Other recipients of the Padma Shri this year from the world of arts include Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor and late singer SP Balasubramaniam.

Clad in a black sherwani and with gold embroidery, Adnan beamed with pride after being conferred with the Indian National Award. Kangana, who had donned a green and gold banarsi saree, took to her Instagram story to share a screenshot about the news.

Popular Playback singer Adnan Sami khan conferred Padma Shri by #PresidentKovind at @rashtrapatibhvn #PadmaAwards2020 #PeoplesPadma pic.twitter.com/2THBtvZgNv

— PIB in Telangana 🇮🇳#AmritMahotsav (@PIBHyderabad) November 8, 2021

The honour didn't come without its fair share of controversy. Sami, who is of Pakistani origin and became an Indian citizen in 2016; was widely criticised when the Padma Shri winner list was announced in January with the Nationalist Congress Party calling it an "insult to 130 crore Indians." The Tera Chehra crooner lashed out at Jaiveer Shergill of the Congress on Twitter after the politician denounced the singer's Padma honour as "chamchagiri."

Speaking to news agency PTI after controversy erupted, Sami said, "The people who are criticising are some minor politicians. They are doing it because of some political agenda that they have and it has nothing to do with me. I am not a politician, I am a musician."