The Government of India has announced the new list of Indian citizens to be honoured with the Padma awards, some of the country's most prestigious awards. Among the recipients of these awards will be Bollywood legend Kader Khan who had passed away on December 31, 2018. His posthumous Padma award would be the government's way of making up for ignoring his contribution to Indian cinema till now. Padma Awards 2019 Full List of Winners: Gautam Gambhir, Manoj Bajpayee, Kader Khan Among Padma Shri Awardees Announced Ahead of Republic Day

Interestingly, two years before he passed away, Kader Khan had lamented about how the country has never recognised what he gave to the industry, by offering him a Padma Shri. And then he took a dig saying it's better if he didn't get one. Speaking to IANS, he had said, "It’s good that they did not give me a Padma Shri. I have neither flattered anyone in my life, nor will I ever. I don’t want these awards if they have been given to people (in the industry) who got it this time. An award is a no big thing, but its importance lies in the people it has been conferred upon. Earlier, there was a certain honesty in these awards but it’s not the same case now. People have now forgotten to respect others and have become way too selfish." As Amitabh Bachchan Pours Condolences, This Old Video of Kader Khan Blaming ‘Sirji’ for Losing Out on Movies Is Going Viral!

He later added, "I would think that I was not as capable as those who were chosen for the Padma awards this year. I, however, thank all those who proposed my name for it."

The veteran actor had breathed his last in Canada where he had settled with his family. The actor had worked in more than 500 movies, and was popular for his villainous and later comic roles. Some of his memorable roles were in movies like Himmatwala, Hum, Aankhen, Hero No 1, Dulhe Raja and others. Kader Khan had also written memorable dialogues in some of the hit '80s potboilers, many of them starring Amitabh Bachchan. This honour bestowed on him, even if posthumous, will be welcomed by Bollywood.

Coming back to the Padma awards, the other recipients of the honour from the film industry were Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, dancing sensation Prabhu Deva, National award-winning Bollywood star Manoj Bajpayee, singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, theatre personality Dinyar Contractor etc. Mohanlal is the recipient of the Padma Bhushan award, while others, including Kader Khan, are getting the Padma Shri awards. Late music legend Bhupen Hazarika is the posthumous recipient of the Bharat Ratna award.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 26, 2019 12:25 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).