Actor Kamal Haasan, who will be awarded the Chevalier de L’Ordre Arts et Lettres (The Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government, recently spoke of the emotions he felt upon receiving the letter from Monsieur Alexandre Ziegler, the French Ambassador to India. The actor, who admits that the news still hasn’t sunk in, said that he ‘never gets bored of awards and accolades‘.
He revealed that the award was a humbling experience. “I realise my journey in my chosen field has not been alone. Teachers and admirers abounded around me. With motherly care they have applauded my every little step forward,” he said in his statement. The actor even took to Twitter about his award and his feelings towards it.
Indian scholars have received 2 Chevaliers and don’t advertise it. Between humility & fame silly me chose latter. Thank you friends and fans
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) August 23, 2016
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Crediting his ‘cerebral friends’, for his achievements, Kamal Haasan admitted in a recent interview that his initial reactions to any appreciation from scholars are a mix of pride and embarrassment. He first shared the news of the award with his partner, Goutami, before telling his daughters and brother, Charuhaasan.
Kamal Haasan spoke of an incident that occurred when the Chennai film industry celebrated actor Sivaji Ganesan’s Chevalier award in 1995, with a grand function. “Despite the melee, a lady managed to dodge the security and stood with her hands folded in a namaste to Sivaji at a vantage point, with glistening wet eyes. Then she turned to me and shouted, “The next honour will be for you. Looking forward to it!” and disappeared,” he said, reminiscing about those surreal moments.
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The actor also mulled over what other artists would think of when bestowed with such high honour. “They (other artists) think of the more talented who died without such adulation, and find themselves fortunate to have jumped a long queue. I thought of all the above,” he said. Kamal Haasan was conferred with the Henri Langlois Award in France, in March this year for his contribution to Indian cinema. He is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India.
Congratulatory messages poured in from many people, including Rajinikanth.
Kamal Haasan is currently recuperating from an injury and is directing and acting in his trilingual film Sabash Naidu.