Renowned actor and scientist Dr Anil Kumar Rastogi on Tuesday received the Padma Shri for his contributions to arts and sciences.
Well-known actor Dr Anil Kumar Rastogi on Wednesday responded to comments from those he described as making fun of his awkward high-five moment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Padma Awards ceremony on Tuesday, where President Draupadi Murmu conferred on him the prestigious Padma Shri award.
The actor’s response came in a post by Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Saket Gokhale, who decoded the moment as “Modi’s event management failed”.
Gokhale made the statement as a comment along with a video that showed Dr Rastogi walking to the stage to receive the Padma Shri and greet Prime Minister Modi with hands folded halfway, ignoring the handshake that the Prime Minister appeared to have initiated.
Anil Kumar Rastogi responds to trolls
As more reactions to the video emerged, the 80-year-old Padma Shri recipient took to social media to hit back at the trolls, asserting that he has great respect for the Prime Minister.
“For all those making fun of me, I am a man over 80 years old, which was an oversight on my part given my age. I have great respect for the Prime Minister and feel he is the best option we currently have to run the country!” He said in response to Saket Gokhale’s post.
Dr. Anil Kumar Rastogi has been honored with Padma Shri for his immense contribution to theatre, cinema, radio and television. He has given about 1,000 performances of hundreds of plays, worked in more than 75 feature films, and 500 episodes of television programs, according to a government statement.
He is also an accomplished scientist with over 78 co-authored research publications and a passionate philanthropist for indigent patients.
Apart from Dr Rastogi, the President has bestowed the prestigious Padma Awards on several other eminent personalities, including tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, actors Mammootty and Satish Shah, cricketer Rohit Sharma, and playback singer Alka Yagnik.
On the eve of Republic Day, the government announced 131 Padma awards including two bilateral ones (in bilateral cases, the award is counted as one). The awards included five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri.
The President conferred 65 Padma Awards – two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan and 57 Padma Shri at the first civilian investiture ceremony held on May 25. The remaining 65 awards (including the duo) were presented during the second civil installation ceremony at the Janatatantra Mandap at the Rashtrapati Bhavnas on Tuesday.
