Four eminents personalities from Odisha were conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.
Actor, director and producer Sadhu Meher, renal transplant surgeon Dr Mukut Minz, popular Sambalpuri singer of the Rangabati fame Jitendra Haripal and Odishi danseuse Aruna Mohanty received the award from President Pranab Mukherjee at a special function.
Notably, Meher has worked with internationally-acclaimed directors Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha, among others, and has earned a name for himself with his acting in Hindi and Odia movies.
Odisha-born Dr Mukut Minz had recently performed renal transplant surgery on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.