Bollywood top notch stars Amitabh Bachchan and Dillip Kumar spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan and philanthrapist Dr D V Heggade were among those conferred the Padma Vibhushan the country second highest civilian award on April 8. Mathematician Manjul Bhargava, economist Bibek Debroy, industry leader P V Mohandas Pai and founder of the noted Shillong Chamber Choir Neil Herbert Nongkynrih were among 54 eminent personalities who were honored with Padma awards by President Pranab Mukherjee. Legal luminary K K Venugopal and nuclear scientist M R Srinivasan were also honored with the Padma Vibhushan, while academician Jagmohan Singh Rajput, captain of the women`s cricket team Mithali Raj and Mars Orbiter Mission project director S Arunan won Padma Shris. Bachchan, clearly the star of the event, had crowds milling around him and his family. He was accompanied by actor son and daughter-in-law Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai, wife Jaya and daughter Shweta Nanda, her son Agastye and daughter Navya Naveli and son-in-law Nikhil. Dressed in a blue bandhgala, Bachchan received the Padma Vibhushan from the President to thunderous applause. Prominent among the eight Padma Bhushan awardees include 12-time national award winning film maker Jahnu Barua and Canada born mathematician Manjul Bhargava.