And quiet the Padma flows

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Every year, around Republic Day, I wait with bated breath for the National Awards to be announced and no, I am not talking about the sterling cinema awards which this year went to two of the finest actresses of modern India: Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Raut. It is the Padma that captivates me. The fact that someone in the Government of India is so blinkered, continues to amaze me year after year and this year, I am most thrilled with Saif Ali Khan being awarded the Padma Shri. And why not? He comes from a sterling pedigree: his father remains one of the most charismatic cricketers India has ever seen and a hunter of great acclaim; his mother is the Chief of India's censor board and Saif is a versatile actor who even beat Shahid Kapoor of Jab we Met to 'Jab they Met' as soon as Kareena....