Kishan Reddy salutes blind singer Vijayalakshmi's National Award
Synopsis
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy praised visually impaired playback singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, who won the National Film Award for Best Playback Singer for the song 'Angu Vaan Konilu' from ARM, receiving the honour from President Draupadi Murmu to a standing ovation.
Key Takeaways
Vaikom Vijayalakshmi , a visually impaired playback singer from Kerala, won the National Film Award for Best Playback Singer (Female) .
The award was for the song 'Angu Vaan Konilu' from the film ARM .
President Draupadi Murmu presented the award; the audience rose in a standing ovation that moved attendees to tears.
Kishan Reddy shared a tribute on X on 24 September 2026 , calling her journey an inspiration for everyone.
Reddy noted that 'disability is of the body, not of resolve,' highlighting Vijayalakshmi as a symbol of perseverance.
A standing ovation that moved an entire hall to tears — that is how visually impaired playback singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi received the Best Playback Singer (Female) honour at the National Film Awards, presented by President Draupadi Murmu. Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy marked the moment on Thursday, 24 September 2026, with a heartfelt tribute on X, describing how her voice alone had conquered crores of hearts.
Posting in Telugu, Kishan Reddy wrote: 'చూపు లేకపోయినా, తన గాత్రంతో మంత్రముగ్ధుల్ని చేసి కోట్లాది మంది హృదయాలను గెలుచుకున్న అద్భుత గాయని' — 'A remarkable singer who, without sight, enchanted listeners and won the hearts of millions with her voice.' He described how, as she received the award from President Murmu, everyone in the hall rose in unison, leaving no eye dry.The song that earned a nation's recognition
Vijayalakshmi won the award for the song 'Angu Vaan Konilu' from the film ARM, clinching the Best Playback Singer honour at one of Indian cinema's most prestigious annual ceremonies. The National Film Awards, conferred by the President of India each year, represent the government's highest recognition for excellence across the country's film industries.
Visually impaired since birth, Vijayalakshmi is a Kerala-based singer whose work spans South Indian cinema. Her journey — from navigating a profession built on visual performance to standing before the President of India — made the auditorium's spontaneous standing ovation feel less like ceremony and more like conviction.
Kishan Reddy's tribute and what it reflects
Reddy, who also serves as BJP Telangana state president, closed his post with a line that resonated widely: 'వైకల్యం దేహానికే కానీ సంకల్పానికి కాదు' — 'Disability is of the body, not of resolve.' It is not uncommon for Union Ministers and elected representatives to post tributes to National Film Award recipients from their linguistic communities; the Telugu film industry's connection to artists across South India makes such acknowledgements a recurring feature of the awards season.
But the image Reddy painted — a hall full of dignitaries rising to their feet, eyes wet, for a blind woman holding a National Award — did the work no policy language ever could. Vijayalakshmi's win is a reminder that the biggest stages in Indian public life still have room for stories that silence a room. She proved it with a song.
Point of View
Particularly around National Film Awards season — a soft cultural diplomacy that costs nothing and earns goodwill. More broadly, Vijayalakshmi's recognition is a rare moment where disability, artistic excellence, and official institutional honour converge in one image: a standing ovation inside a hall of power. The moment also underscores how the National Film Awards, often discussed in terms of industry politics, can still produce genuinely moving public narratives that cut across region and language.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Vaikom Vijayalakshmi?
Vaikom Vijayalakshmi is a visually impaired playback singer from Kerala known for her work in South Indian cinema. She won the National Film Award for Best Playback Singer (Female) for the song 'Angu Vaan Konilu' from the film ARM.
What award did Vaikom Vijayalakshmi win?
She won the National Film Award for Best Playback Singer (Female), one of India's highest honours in cinema, presented by President Draupadi Murmu.
Which film and song did Vijayalakshmi win the National Award for?
She won for the song 'Angu Vaan Konilu' from the film ARM.
Why did G. Kishan Reddy post about Vaikom Vijayalakshmi?
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy posted a tribute on X to celebrate Vijayalakshmi's National Film Award win, calling her journey an inspiration and noting the standing ovation she received at the ceremony from the entire hall.
Who presents the National Film Awards in India?
The National Film Awards are presented by the President of India. At this ceremony, President Draupadi Murmu presented the award to Vaikom Vijayalakshmi.
