Veteran film maker K. Balachander, 81, was today chosen for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2010.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, making the announcement in Delhi, said the special committee appointed for the purpose has unanimously recommended the name of Balachander for the award.
The Centre gives away this award every year to an outstanding personality who contributes to the growth and evolution of the cinema in the country. The Dadasaheb Phalke award consists of a Swarn Kamal, a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh and a shawl.
Born in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu in July 1930, Balachander, who worked as official in the Accountant General’s office in Chennai, transformed himself as a playwright and then as a great director in the Tamil film industry. He of course made films in various languages including Telugu and Hindi too.
He began his career as a dialogue writer in the industry penning dialogues for M.G. Ramachandran’s film ‘Dheiva Thaai’. And he introduced superstar Rajnikanth to Tamil and Telugu cinema through his ‘Apoorva Ragangal’ and ‘Anthuleni Katha’ in Tamil and Telugu respectively made in 1975.
Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan, Sujatha, Jaya Prada and Sarita were all his discoveries who later became big names in South Indian cinema. His bilingual film ‘Maro Charitra’ was a big hit of the times and it was also remade in Hindi as ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ which was also a runaway hit in Bollywood.
Balachander had also won the Padma Shri award in 1987 and was honoured with the title Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu government in 1973.Goverment of AP also honoured him with various awards.
