Padma Awards 2023 | 'RRR' fame composer MM Keeravaani honoured with Padma Shri

MM Keeravani poses in the press room with the award for best original song, motion picture for 'Naatu Naatu' from 'RRR' at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards.

MM Keeravaani, the music composer of RRR, has been awarded Padma Shri -- the fourth-highest civilian award in the country. Keeravaani and Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain are among the 106 recipients of the coveted Padma Awards for the year 2023 on the eve of Republic Day.

Koduri Marakathamani Keeravani, also known as MM Keeravaani, is a music composer, playback singer, and lyricist who composed the Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated song 'Naatu Naatu' for the famed SS Rajamouli film RRR. In Tamil films, he is known as Marakathamani and in Hindi films as MM Kreem.

Keeravani began his career as an assistant music director with Telugu composer K Chakravarthy and Malayalam composer C Rajamani in 1987. His breakthrough project was the 1990’s Manasu Mamatha, which brought him to the limelight. The composer received his big break in Bollywood, where he worked with Mahesh Bhatt in 1994.

The 61-year-old music composer is best known for his compositions in works such as Kshana Kshanam (1991), Seetharamayya Gari Manavaralu (1991), Gharana Mogudu (1992), Varasudu (1993), Allari Alludu (1993), Allari Priyudu (1993), Criminal (1994), Subha Sankalpam (1995), Pelli Sandadi (1996), Annamayya (1997), Zakhm (1998), Student No.1 (2001), Jism (2003), Paheli (2005), Sri Ramadasu (2006), Magadheera (2009), Baahubali series (2015 and 2017), and RRR (2022).

The government's Padma awards are given in various disciplines and fields of activities, such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.

The list comprises six Padma Vibhushan, nine Padma Bhushan and 91 Padma Shri Awards. Nineteen of the awardees are women and the list also includes two persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and seven posthumous awardees.