NEW DELHI: Veteran filmmaker M S Sathyu and musicians Vijay Kumar Kichlu, Tulsidas Vasant Borkar, and SR Janakiraman were awarded the fellowship of the Sangeet Natak Akademi for 2014 from President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi.

Hindustani classical singer Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, flautist Ronu Majumdar, and tabla player Nayan Ghosh were among nine persons awarded for their contribution to music.

Others awarded for music were: Hindustani vocalists Iqbal Ahmed Khan and Nath Neralkar, Carnatic vocalist R Santhanagopalan, Carnatic instrumental (thavil) exponent Thiruvalaputhur T A Kaliamurthy, Sukanya Ramgopal for Ghatam, and Dwaram Durga Prasad Rao for violin.

Awards were also given for folk music to Puran Shah Koti (traditional Punjabi), Abdul Shah Hafiz of Jammu and Kashmir, and Thanga Darlong of Tripura.

Awards were also presented for theatre and various classical dance forms.

Meanwhile, a delegation of artistes from the Akademi called on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt, Pt. Ajoy Chakravarty, Ms Aruna Sairam and Atul Tiwari were part of the delegation. Akademi Chairman Shekhar Sen was also present.

The purpose of the meeting was not disclosed, but comes against the backdrop of artistes returning their awards to protest ‘growing intolerance’.