Actor Aamir Khan was presented the 11th Gollapudi Srinivas National Award for his film Taare Zameen Par in Chennai on Tuesday. Speaking in the occasion, veteran film miaker K.Balachander said that after watching the film, the first directorial venture of the actor, he was convinced that Indian cinema is in safe hands. The award comprised a memento and a cash prize of Rs. 1.50 lakh from the Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation.

Director Balachander said that the movie made him cry yet it made him happy somehow. He appreciated the director’s conviction in putting a buck-toothed Darsheel Safary in the lead role and appearing himself in the second half of the movie. He noted that movie such as Taare Zameen Par should make Indian cinema wake up from its complacency. He also said that the movie has provoked him to clear the cobwebs of his brain and rethink about his notions about cinema and script.

For an actor who is known for not attending award functions, Aamir Khan agreed to accept this award as a mark of respect towards the Gollapudi family.

Actor cum Director Aamir Khan who was in Chennai to receive the Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Award for his directorial debut T, said that the film will be dubbed in Tamil and Telugu.

The tamil version of the movie will be distributed by Pyramid Saimira and the film will be known as Vaal Natchathiram. In the tamil version Actor Surya has dubbed for Aamir Khan. Earlier the actor has dubbed for Abhishek Bachchan for Mani Ratnam’s tamil version for the movie Guru.