Rajinikanth pens a heartfelt note on being conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke honour, dedicates the award to bus driver Raj Bahadur, among others

Indian superstar Rajinikanth will be conferred with the 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award, confirmed the Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Rajinikanth tweeted, 'For all the love, greetings & wishes I’ve received from eminent political leaders, my film fraternity friends & colleagues, well-wishers, media, every person who took the time to wish me & my beloved fans from across India & all over the world .. my deepest gratitude and thanks '. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Rajinikanth for his contribution to cinema. He wrote, 'Popular across generations, a body of work few can boast of, diverse roles and an endearing personality...that’s Shri @rajinikanth Ji for you. It is a matter of immense joy that Thalaiva has been conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Congratulations to him.' The veteran actor who will soon be seen in 'Annaatthe' directed by Siva thanked the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the Government of India for the honour. Expressing his happiness, Rajinikanth posted a long note in Tamil which loosely translated as 'Immensely humbled and honoured with your greetings and the most prestigious #DadasahebPhalkeAward award respected and dearest Shri @narendramodi ji. My heartfelt thanks to you and the government of india'. The veteran further added, 'I dedicate this award to my friend, bus driver Raj Bahadur, for recognising my acting ability and providing encouragement, my brother Thiru Sathyanarayana Rao Gaikwad for making many sacrifices to help me follow my dreams even when we lived in poverty, my mentor K Balachander for giving me my first break and making me Rajinikanth, all my film producers, directors, technicians distributors, theatre owners, the media, the Tamil people who have helped me thrive, and my fans all over the world'. Meanwhile, the 70-year-old icon, who’s also the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan (2016) and Padma Bhushan (2000), is one of India’s biggest stars and enjoys massive clout and an ardent fan following.