It is the common impression that K Balachandar only saw immense talent in Kamal Hassan but was not himself instrumental in making him a great actor. The good sishya that Kamal is, he sought to put the record straight.

Speaking at the Santosham Cine Puraskaralu event held in Hyderabad, he said that Balachandar was the one who taught him how to act. "I entered the industry without learning anything. People believe that he encouraged us to act when he recognised talent in us. But that is not true. When we entered the industry, we knew nothing about acting. He made us into actors. Giving a Lifetime Achievement award to him is like giving an award to the film industry itself," Kamal said.