"I can't believe it...": Tamasha artist Raghuveer Khedkar on receiving Padma Shri

Solapur, (Maharashtra) [India], January 26 (ANI): Folk artist Raghuveer Khedkar has been named among the Padma Shri awardees for 2026.
The honour has come as a big moment for the veteran artist, who has spent more than five decades working for the Tamasha folk theatre tradition of Maharashtra.
Khedkar is known for keeping the Tamasha art form alive and taking it beyond the state. From a young age, he learned the craft from his mother and later carried her work forward. Over the years, he has led a Tamasha troupe and trained many young performers to keep the tradition strong.
After the announcement, Khedkar spoke about his feelings and said the news still feels unreal to him. He spoke about his long journey and how thankful he feels that his work has been recognised after so many years.
While speaking to ANI, Raghuveer Khedkar said,"...I can't believe I've received the Padma Shri award, and I'm very, very happy because my work, which I've done over fifty-three years, has been recognised. I am very grateful to the Government of India. I would like to dedicate this honour to my mother because she taught me, she guided me. It's all because of my mother, and I dedicate this to her..."
On the eve of Republic Day 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced the recipients of this year's Padma Awards, honouring individuals for their remarkable contributions to the nation. It includes Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. Madhavan has been named alongside distinguished individuals from the fields of art, education, sports, and various other disciplines.
For the year 2026, the President has approved conferment of 131 Padma Awards, including 2 duo cases (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one). The list comprises 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 19 of the awardees are women, and the list also includes 6 persons from the category of Foreigners / NRI / PIO / OCI, and 16 Posthumous awardees.
The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year. (ANI)