Padma Shri Musician Forced To Clean Posters From His Own Portrait In Hyderabad Metro

A video showing Padma Shri awardee Darshanam Mogilaiah, also known as Kinnera Mogilaiah removing posters from a pillar featuring his own portrait in Hyderabad has gone viral on social media, prompting calls for authorities to enforce cleanliness rules. In the footage, the famed kinnera player is seen applying whitener and cleaning the pillar near his image, drawing attention to the issue of posters being stuck on public property.

Mogilaiah, a distinguished folk musician from Telangana, mastered the rare tribal instrument known as the kinnera, a stringed instrument with origins dating back centuries. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022 for his contributions to preserving this traditional art form.

Padma Shri awardee Mogilaiah was seen cleaning a Hyderabad Metro pillar after posters were pasted over his portrait.

A reminder : stop defacing the city. Keep Hyderabad clean. pic.twitter.com/ljTZT7qaz7

— Naveena (@TheNaveena) December 17, 2025

The video has led to public urging of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to take strict action against those who affix posters and stickers on public structures, with many users tagging the civic body and demanding penalties. Residents expressed disappointment that a respected cultural figure had to intervene personally in addressing what they viewed as avoidable damage to public property.

A user commented, urging authorities to impose penalties on those who illegally paste posters, pointing out that the poster numbers and addresses make it easy to identify offenders. 

Another user questioned @GHMCOnline's efforts, emphasizing that one official is not enough and calling for stricter monitoring across the city to prevent ads on public pillars. 

A third user expressed sadness and frustration over the lack of care, stating that such negligence reflects a regressive society and reminded them of the concept of learned helplessness.