If Kamal tells something, it will no doubt get importance. And if he tells something on acting, the attention it gets is doubly so. This was visible once again on Saturday, at a function held in Chennai to confer ‘Nataka Choodamani’ on K Balachander.

“Rehearsal is key to good acting. Films are made on Rs 50 crore budget. But no one bothers to rehearse. Practice makes a man perfect. Likeswise, rehearsals would hone your acting talent,” the ‘Ulaga Nayagan’ said.

Heaping laurels on the way dramas are made, he said, “More than 50 rehearsals are held for a play, even though it is made on a budget from Rs one lakh. But the case is not so in cinema.”

On his mentor Balachander, Kamal said, “I developed the habit of practicing for a role from KB. But for him, I would have been just another actor, and not the Kamal Haasan you see here today. My guru had immense faith on me.”

Former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami, who presented the award to the ace director, said, “I consider it an honour to present KB with this award. He is the Jambawan of Tamil cinema.”

Others who were present at the function were AVM Saravanan, Crazy Mohan, S B Kanthan, ‘Madhu’ Balaji, ‘Poovilangu’ Mohan, Renuka, Fathima Babu, Madhuvanthi Arun and Ramesh Vinayakam.