Rajesh Khanna’s name among Padma Vibhushan nominees

Zeenews Bureau

Delhi: Superstar Rajesh Khanna, who passed away this year, might be among the Padma Vibhushan awardees for the year 2013. According to TOI, a high level committee had met on Wednesday to shortlist the names of the Padma awardees this year. The shortlisted names, or so indications suggest, contain those of Rajesh Khanna, director Ramesh Sippy and singer Kailash Kher. The name of the late superstar has been recommended for the Padma Vibhushan, the highest Padma award; while Sippy and Kher are reportedly to be felicitated with the Padma Shri. The selection committee consisted of cabinet secretary Ajit Seth, principal secretary to the PM Pulok Chatterjee, home secretary R K Singh, actor Ratna Pathak Shah and scientist Anil Kakodkar, according to the daily. The selected names are to be presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and once through with his approval, they will be conferred with the honours on January 25, 2013. The Padma awards, which are not usually awarded posthumously, there are strong indications that an exception might be made for the late superstar this year. The government might make an exception in Khanna’s case, though.