Ricky Kej on Padma Shri honour: Collected the award barefoot, touched PM Modi’s feet before collecting the award

Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej, who received the Padma Award from President Droupadi Murmu, says it’s his “most valuable award” ever. 

Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej is on cloud nine. Why? He was honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, by President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi yesterday. “The moment I received the Padma Award, it was a complete blur. Once my name was called out, I decided to collect the award barefoot. It felt like I was in a temple. So many unsung heroes were being celebrated, people working on the grassroots and just going about their amazing work in various fields with little pomp and show. To be among them was overwhelming for me,” says Ricky, who “touched Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet before receiving the honour”. He adds, “I make no secret of it, but he has been absolutely instrumental in the success and fulfilment I get from my musical career.”

Ricky’s all-black Indian outfit is being spoken about, too. Talking about the “self-styled ensemble”, the musician says, “I wore a simple black dhoti with a gold zari highlight. The achkan was a self-designed asymmetric jacket. I wore earrings inspired from those worn by folk musicians in Rajasthan.”

As someone with three Grammy Awards to his credit, how is the Padma Shri title different? “I have won three Grammys and over 100 music awards, but all those were for a specific project, album or song. The Padma Award is for my career as a whole and awarded by my own nation. So, it’s my most valuable ever. It has motivated me to continue doing what I do with more enthusiasm - make music for positive social impact, and to make this world a better place for everyone,” says Ricky, who was accompanied by his mother to the Padma Awards ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

“My mum had not accompanied me for any of my Grammy wins, but was extremely eager to share this moment with me. She was overjoyed, probably even more excited than me. When my name was called out she stood up and clapped the loudest. Hopefully, she will now be fine with me not becoming a doctor,” laughs the musician.

Will this award impact his work? “As a musician, I always hope that each project I work on is better than the previous one. But when I win an award, I am always grateful. I never imagined I would one day win one of the biggest civilian honors, I will most definitely live up to it,” he ends.