After being named as the next recipient of the prestigious Chevalier Award given by the Government of France, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan has sent Thanks audio messages in perfectly accentuated English and chaste and eloquent Tamil. The speech his marked by his genuine sense of gratitude for his forerunners as well as fans and admirers. Here is the full speech:

"The French Government has kindly conferred the Chevalier award for Arts and Letters on me. On this occasion, I bow before my more deserving forerunners, Mr.Satyajit Ray and Mr.Sivaji Ganesan, who made even the common man realise the value of the Chevalier Award. I thank his Excellency, the French ambassador in India, Alexander Ziegler, who intimated me of this honour. This award humbles me rather than stiffen me with pride. I realise my journey in the chosen field has not been alone. Teachers and admirers are abundant around me. With motherly care, they have applauded my every little step forward. The melancholy of my parents not being alive to see this day is allayed by the fact that the elders and young are still around in my family to enjoy it. I dedicate this award to my admirers and audience who give me the tenacity of purpose, to pursue to this day and moment, my arts and letters. Thank you".

The multi-talented actor has been recovering from a surgery on his leg after surviving a slip down from a staircase at his home. He is expected to start shooting for his upcoming trilingual film Sabash Naidu` from the second week of September.