Padma Awards for Sridevi and S. Janaki

Southern starlet Sridevi has been awarded the Padma Shri award – the fourth highest civilian award in India – for her services to the film industry. The actress starred in a string of his in the South Indian film industries before she broke into Bollywood and became hugely-popular there as well.

Sridevi made a comeback in 2012 with the film "English Vinglish", which was a hit. Although she was nominated for a handful awards for the film, the actress is yet to bag an award for her role. However, it is safe to say that receiving the Padma Shri more than makes up for this!

Esteemed playback singer S. Janaki received a Padma Bhushan award. The Telugu singer made a name for herself across the many Indian film industries, earning herself the title of "Nightingale of the South"!

According to India’s independent newswire IANS, S. Janaki has refused to accept the award, saying "I’m saddened by the fact that north India has been given more prominence than south India. I’m extremely disappointed and I refuse to accept the award."

It’s nice to see such a renowned artiste sticking up for the Southern states, which many feel are sometimes overlooked. That said, it is still a huge honour for both Sridevi and S. Janaki, and we send them our hearty congratulations!

Below is the video for "Senthoora Poove" from the 1977 film "16 Vayathinile". The film starred Sridevi along with Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, and S. Janaki received the National Award for Best Playback Singer for this song!