Legendary actor Rajinikanth today received the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award from Vice-President of India Venkaiah Naidu in the presence of his wife Latha Rajinikanth, daughter Aishwarya R Dhanush, son-in-law Dhanush and grandson Yatra. In a statement put out on Twitter, the 'Kaala' and 'Kabali' star thanked the central government for the honor and also his friend Bahadur for helping him become an actor. Rajini then dedicated the award to his mentor K. Balachander, the iconic Tamil filmmaker.

After Sivaji Ganesan and K Balachander, the 'Darbar' actor is the third Tamil film personality to be conferred with the prestigious award. Actor Dhanush had earlier bagged the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film 'Asuran'.

The 'Peddhanna' actor has been flooded with congratulatory messages. "Congratulations Thalaivaaaa. You are so deserving of this award. We are so proud to be your fan," wrote director Karthik Subbaraj. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wished the actor and called him the 'Sun' of the film world. Yesteryear actress Radhika Sarathkumar described it as a proud moment for Indian cinema.

SP Velumani of AIADMK said, "May you continue to inspire millions and redefine style in cinema. Wishing you good health, happiness and peace always!" Producer Dr Dhananjayan wrote, "First time we see a Very young & energetic #DadasahebPhalkeAward winner #SuperstarRajinikanth sir. Well deserved & a grand honor for Rajinikanth sir."