Popular comedian of Tamil cinema Vivek has been selected for the coveted Padma Shri award. Introduced by veteran director K Balachander in Kollywood, he has carved a niche for himself doing comical roles. Known for his wits and punch which carry a message, Vivek had acted with all popular artistes in Tamil films since his debut in Manadhil Uruthi Vendum in 1986.

A happy Vivek, said, ' I consider myself happy and blessed. I thank my parents, my mentor K Balachander and millions of my fans who helped me achieve this feat. The Padma Shri is a crown in my head'.

A shrewd actor, Vivek draws humour from scenes of daily life in Tamil Nadu and his pet themes include serious subjects such as bribery, population and political corruption. Nevertheless, he has appeared in lighter parodies too.

'The title is a recognition to my hard work. It has made me more responsible and I think I should strive hard to keep the good work going', he said.

A winner of five Filmfare awards so far, Vivek says, 'I am greatly inspired by Kalaivanar N S Krishnan. I have done very little what he has achieved. It's a great moment in my life'.

The other Padmashri awardees include Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Telugu comedian Brahmanandham, Classical vocalist Aruna Sairam among others.