A writer, editor, director and producer, the man with many talents, Hirani is also particularly careful about his words in the social media age.
This year, names like Rajinikanth, Anupam Kher, Priyanka Chopra, Madhur Bhandarkar, S.S. Rajamouli, Udit Narayan and Malini Awasthi, among others, are in Padma awardees' list.
Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, who separated from his wife Sussanne Khan in 2013, says there are "more chances" of him "having had an affair with the Pope" than with the women that the media has been linking him to.
"I think the experience that I have had - like I work for almost 10 to 12 hours a day - but after that I don't do anything. I just stay with my kids.
The veteran actor has given the filmmaker a Rs.1,000 note, and thanked him for giving him a "career".
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui on Friday said the assault complaint that a woman made against him, was a "preplanned" move against him.