Bansi Kaul was an Indian theatre director and the founder of Rang Vidushak, a theatre group in Bhopal. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honor, in 2014, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995. Some of his notable plays included Aala Afsar, Kahan Kabir, and Sidhi Dar Sidhi urf Tukke pe Tukka. He was a designer and associate show director for the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony and also the art director for the 1986 and 1987 Khajuraho Festival.
H. R. Keshava Murthy was an Indian gamaka exponent and guru. He was honoured with Shantala Natya Sri Award by the Government of Karnataka in 1998 and Padma Shri in 2022 by the Government of India in the field of arts.
Telugu theatre is Indian theatre in the Telugu language, based in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Gurajada Apparao wrote the play, Kanyasulkam in 1892, which is often considered the greatest play in the Telugu language. C. Pullaiah is cited as the father of Telugu theatre movement.
Padma Shri Na Muthuswamy was the art director of Tamil folk theatre group Koothu-P-Pattarai, which is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in South India.
Nataraja Ramakrishna was an Indian dance guru. He was the chairman of Andhra Pradesh Sangeeta Nataka Academy. He was also a scholar and musicologist who promoted classical dance in Andhra Pradesh and worldwide.
Sudarsan Pattnaik is an Indian sand artist from Puri, Odisha. In 2014, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, for his seashore sand arts.
Sudarshan Sahoo is an Indian sculpture artist from Puri, Odisha. He was awarded India's second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan in 2021 and India's fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri in 1988.
Rekandar Nageswara Rao, popularly known as Surabhi Babji was an Indian thespian, and director, known for his works in Telugu theatre. He was honored by the Government of India, in 2013, by bestowing on him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the field of art.
Gajam Govardhana is an Indian master weaver, known for his work in Ikkat dyeing in the Telia Rumal tradition, and for his handloom creations. In 2011 the government of India honoured him with the fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri.
Yamunabai Waikar, née Yamunabai Vikram Jawle was an Indian folk artist, known for her expertise in the Marathi folk traditions of Lavani and Tamasha, folk art forms involving music and dance and reported to be one of the leading exponents of the art genres. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, she was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Gopal Prasad Dubey is an Indian classical dancer, known for his expertise in the Indian classical dance form of Chhau. He is considered by many as the leading exponent of the Seraikella variant of the art form. Dubey was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Lavu Narendranath is an Indian orthopedic surgeon, medical researcher and the director of Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad.
Waman Thakre is an Indian photographer and a former deputy director at the Directorate of Panchayat and Social Service of the Government of Madhya Pradesh. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and the Photographic Society of America and is a recipient of the Shikhar Award of the MP State government. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for his contributions to Arts.
Niranjan Goswami is an Indian mime artist and stage director, credited by many with pioneering the art form of mime in India. He is the founder of Indian Mime Theatre, a group promoting the art of Mukhabhinaya.
Godawari Dutta was an Indian painter, known for her Madhubani paintings. She was a recipient of India's fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.
Bhuri Bai is an Indian Bhil artist. She was born in Pitol village, situated on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Pitol is a village of Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh. Bhuri Bai belongs to the community of Bhils, the largest tribal group of India. She has won many awards including the highest state honour accorded to artists by the Madhya Pradesh government, the Shikhar Samman. She was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2021.
Annavarapu Rama Swamy is an Indian classical violinist from Andhra Pradesh, India.
Sakini Ramachandraih was an Indian vocal folk singer and Dhol player from the Bhadradri town in the Telangana State in India. He was known for his expertise in "Kanchumelam-Kanchuthalam" an art form particularly identified with the Koya tribal community in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This art form is almost on the verge of extinction and Ramachandraih was the only surviving practitioner of the art who could narrate the history of the sacred festival "Sammakka Sarakka Jathara" in both the Telugu and Koya languages in its totality. In the year 2022, the Government of India honoured Ramachandraiah by conferring the Padma Shri award for his contributions to art.
Gaddam Padmaja Reddy is an Indian Kuchipudi exponent and music teacher. She performs ballets on mythological themes and contemporary social issues. She choreographed Kakatiyam, a Kuchipudi visual dance form. She was conferred with Kala Ratna in 2006, India's highest art award–Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2015 and Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in the field of art for 2022.
Shanti Devi Paswan is an Indian artist from Bihar, known for her work in the Godna style of Mithila painting. She belongs to the Dusadh caste, a community traditionally associated with this region. Shanti has adapted Godna painting, which has its origins in tattooing practices, into a notable form of Mithila art. Her work has been showcased internationally, including in the United States, Japan, Denmark, Malaysia, Germany and Hong Kong.
