Following Bharathirajaa's birthday today, several members of the film industry have written to the Centre asking to confer the honor of Dadasaheb Phalke Award on the veteran director. Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, Vetrimaaran, Dhanush, Kalaipuli S Thanu, R Parthiban, Bala, Cheran, Priyadarshan, Pandiraj, SR Prabhu, Sreekar Prasad and B Lenin are among the 35 National award winners who have signed the letter to Prakash Javedekar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

Listing the veteran director's tremendous contribution to cinema with 42 films in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu between 1977 and 2019, it was also highlighted in the letter that he has won National award six times from the government of India and been conferred with the Padma Shri in 2004.

"On this special day of Shri Bharathiraaja's 78th birthday, we from Indian film industry, recognized by Government of India for our works appeal to you to consider him for this year's coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema, which will be a fitting tribute to this living legend and a right recognition at the right time for his huge contribution to Indian cinema with multiple achievements for over 43 years," it was said in the letter.