Actor Kamal Haasan becomes the second Tamil star after Sivaji Ganesan to be honoured with the Chevalier de L’Ordre Arts et Lettres

Chennai, Aug 22: Actor Kamal Haasan has another achievement to his credit. Kamal Haasan has become the second Tamil star after Sivaji Ganesan to be honoured with the Chevalier de L’Ordre Arts et Lettres (The Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government.

The Order is part of France’s premier award, the Legion of Honor. Haasan’s spokesman on Sunday told media, “The distinction…is in recognition of his high level of artistic excellence and his distinguished career achievements.”

Dedicating the award to his  “admirers and audience”, in a special audio message, Kamal Haasan said:

“On this occasion, I bow before my more deserving forerunners Satyajit Ray and Sivaji Ganesan who made even the common man realise the value of Chevalier award. I dedicate this award to my admirers and audience who give me the tenacity of purpose to pursue to this day and moment my arts.”

Additionally, he also said that these awards and recognition humbles him. He expressed his sadness that his parents are not alive to see their son receiving such an honor.

Apart from Sivaji Ganesan who received the award in 1995, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Nandita Das and Shah Rukh Khan are among other Indians who have been conferred with the Chevalier Order for actors

“Ulaganayagan” Kamal Haasan has been giving hits every year, though some of the films like Vishwaroopam (2013), Dasavatharam (2008) and Hey Ram (2000) to name a few, kicked up controversies. Currently, he is busy shooting the trilingual comedy Sabash Naidu.

He has won three national awards for the Best Actor and President’s Gold Medal for the Best Child Artist for the film Kalathur Kannamma (1960) and was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government in 2014, in his spectacular career spanning over half-a-century. Kamal’s magnum opus Vishwaroopam 2, sequel to the blockbuster film is to be released soon.