Chennai, Jan 25 (IANS): Seven eminent persons from Tamil Nadu have been conferred with Padma Shri award for 2022 for their achievements in the fields of arts, social work and medicine.

The seven Padma Shri awardees are: Sirpi Balasubramaniam for Literature and Education, S Damodaran, for Social Work, S. Ballesh Bhajantri, Sowcar Janaki, R. Muthukannammal and A.K.C.Natarajan for Art, and Dr.Veeeraswamy Seshiah for medicine.

Balasubramaniam, 85, is a Tamil poet, and critic has published several poetry works and was twice awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award - one in 2003 for his poetry collection "Oru Giraamattu Nadhi" and the other in 2001 for translation of Lalithambika Antharjanam's "Agnisakshi" into Tamil.

Tamil movie actor Janaki, 90, has acted in more than 450 movies in Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu.

She began her movie career in 1950 in the Telugu movie "Shavukaru" and continues to act till 2020.

Muthukannammal is a Sathir dancer, an ancient dance form, Natarajan, a Carnatic music clarinet player and Bhajantri, a Shehnai player are the other Padma Shri awardees under the art category.

Seshiah is a diabetologist and has been awarded with several international and national awards for his contributions in the field of medicine.