President Pranab Mukherjee awarded Doyen of Indian theatre M S Sathyu, eminent vocalists S R Jankiraman, Vijay Kumar Kichlu and Harmonium player Tulsidas Borkar with Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship. Along with them, 35 other noted personalities from various disciplines of dance, drama and music were conferred Akademi awards for 2014 by the President at a glittering ceremony in the imposing Darbaar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Eminent folk singer from Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Rashid Hafiz who is known for his renditions of traditional singing Chakri was among eight artists facilitated for their contribution in traditional arts. The Akademi Awards carries purse money of Rs one lakh in cash, a Tamrapatra and an Angavastram.

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna Sadasyata) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) are recognised as the most coveted national honours bestowed on performing artists as well as teachers and scholars in the field of performing arts.

Among the eminent artists awarded fellowship of the Akademi, 85-year-old Sathyu is doyen of Indian theatre known for his classic movie ‘Garam Hawa’ on partition which introduced actors like Farooq Sheikh to Indian cinema.