Megastar Chiranjeevi has been feted with the IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award for 2022 by the Indian government. The closing ceremony of the 53rd edition of IFFI was held in Goa on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, the 'Acharya' actor said, "This award has given me josh. I am very happy. My fans are overwhelmed."

He was asked about competing with youngsters like his son Ram Charan. Does he feel that he has to brace up for their challenge? "They have to do the balancing act. Not me. Even at this age, I am giving a tough time to those guys," the 'Waltair Veerayya' actor commented in a lighter vein.

The 'Bholaa Shankar' actor said, "It feels great that films down South are getting platformed at events like this one. The history of South Indian cinema needs to be respected. The mindset of 'regional' vs 'Indian' must go. The day has come for us to transcend boundaries. No way are Indian films are inferior to world cinema."