At the Padma Awards 2020 ceremony that was held in New Delhi on Tuesday, transgender folk dancer Manjamma Jogati received the Padma Shri by President Ram Nath Kovind. In the video, as Manjamma Jogati approached President Kovind to receive the honour, she made a gesture which many on social media say was to wish him luck. She received the award and won hearts from netizens. In fact, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma shared the video on Instagram Stories and opted for a warm smile emoji with a pink heart emoji. 

Manjamma, who was born as Manjunath Shetty in Ballari district, studied till class 10 and at the age of 15, she started to identify herself as a woman. She was taken to a temple by her parents to perform a ritual, called Jogappa, in which the devotees are believed to get married to a god or a goddess. From then on, her name was changed from Manjunath Shetty to Manjamma Jogati. 

Her inspiring story has certainly touched the hearts of many as she wasn’t allowed to go back home after the temple ceremony. She began begging on the streets and was apparently sexually abused. While she decided to kill herself, she came across a father and son who taught her how to dance. She was introduced to Kallava Jogathi. 

In the entertainment industry, veteran theatre and TV actress Sarita Joshi won a Padma Shri along with Kangana Ranaut, Indian TV czarina Ekta Kapoor, filmmaker Karan Johar, and singer Adnan Sami. Late singer SP Balasubramaniam was posthumously honoured the Padma Vibhushan. 

Taking to Instagram, Karan Johar shared the video of him receiving the Padma Shri award and went on to pen a heartfelt note. He wrote, “Today felt surreal! I am honoured and humbled that the prestigious Padma Shri Award was bestowed on me. I feel extremely fortunate to receive it from the hands of our honourable President Shri Ram Nath Kovind. This is a momumental day for me, my mother, my kids and my company, and will forever be etched in my memory. Thank you so much for all your wishes and the abundance of love!”

While Ekta Kapoor shared a photo of her Padma Shri badge, Kangana expressed her gratitude in a video. She also shared a note that read, “Long ago when I started my career ….A question bothered me … I asked myself some want money, some want fans …. some seek fame and some just want attention …. What do I want ?Deep down I always knew as a girl child I wanted to earn respect and that is my treasure…Thank you India for this gift.”