NEW DELHI, April 29 (PTI): K Balachander, who brought a whiff of fresh air with daring new style in direction and filmmaking in Tamil cinema in the 1970s, was today chosen for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2010.
The award, which is given for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema, was announced by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry based on the recommendation of a committee of eminent persons.
Balachander (81), who made an amazing transformation from a government servant in the Accountant General's office to a writer of amateur playright of drams and then to a leading personality in films, introduced an easy style in script narration at a time when Tamil cinema was dominated by melodrama.
He started with dialogue writing for MGR's film 'Dheiva Thaai' but never worked with the big stars of the industry then either MGR or Sivaji Ganesan, later.
