Agencies

Kangana Ranaut had claimed that Sushant Singh Rajput could have taken this step due to the pressure and rejection he was facing from Bollywood and the media.

In an unexpected turns of events, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has claimed that if she is unable to prove her claims in the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput�s suicide she will return her Padma Shri Award.The Kai Po Che actor died by suicide on June 14. The incident took place at his apartment in Bandra, Mumbai.Previously, the actress had claimed that Sushant could have taken this step due to the pressure and rejection he was facing from Bollywood and the media.

Now that the actress has claimed to return the prestigious award, we take a look at five people who in the past have returned their Padma Shri Award:

1. Aribam Shyam Sharma, Film Maker

The Manipuri film maker had received the honour in 2006. As a mark of protest against the citizenship amendment act, he had returned the award in 2019. The 83-year-old filmmaker and music composer's films have been recipients of several national film awards.

2. Mujtaba Hussain, writer

The eminent Urdu writer had got the Padma Shri in 2007 for his contributions in the field of Urdu literature. He decided to return his award in 2019. Mujtaba in an interview to ANI had cited that he is not happy with the current situation of the country. He had said the democracy of India is being shattered.

3. Sadhu Singh Hamdard, writer and freedom fighter

The writer, poet, freedom fighter and journalist was awarded the Padma Shri in January 1984. However, a few months later in June 1984 he returned the award as a mark of protest against Operation Blue Star.

4. Jayanta Mahapatra, Poet

The first Indian poet to have won the Sahitya Akademi Award was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2009. Due to growing intolerance in the country, Jayanta in the year 2015 decided to return the Padma award.