Proudest moment of my life, says Balachander

"This is an occasion to cherish and the proudest moment of my life," he told reporters in his brief reaction.He thanked all his colleagues in his career.

The latest award will be an addition to the kitty of the director, who already has a slew of recognitions including National awards and state government accolades to his credit.

Fondly addressed as KB and respected by one and all of the Tamil cinema industry as well as in other parts, the ace filmmaker is credited with launching two of the biggest entertainers of Tamil cinema, Rajnikant and Kamal Hassan.

The director was known for his rebellious films especially on women-oriented themes including "Aval Oru Thodarkathai", "Arangetram" and "Kalki" among others.

Besides these social-oriented flicks, others such as "Bhama Vijayam" and "Thillu Mullu", both comedy-based films, touched instant chord with the audiences.

Recognising the huge potential of the small screen, KB was one of the early birds that made a plunge into teleserials and churned out some of the most memorable ones like "Kai Alavu Manasu", "Rail Sneham", "Premi", "Kadhal Pagadai", "Kasalavu Nesam" and "Sahana".