Chennai: Kamal Haasan has congratulated superstar Rajinikanth, who has been chosen by the Andhra Pradesh government for the prestigious NTR National Film Award for the year 2016.  Rajinikanth repaid the gesture and congratulated Haasan, who has also been chosen for the same award for the year 2014. "Congratulations, Superstar Rajinikanth for the NTR National award in 2016.  

"Thank you Andhra for honouring me also, yet again. I am indebted to your continued support, which started early in my career. Kruthagnyathalu" tweeted Haasan.   Replying to Haasan's tweet, Rajinikanth tweeted, "Thank you, Kamal... I wish you the same !!! Congratulations!"   The NTR National Film Award was instituted in the memory of Telugu film legend and former Chief Minister Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.   

A committee, headed by film star and MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, has selected the awardees for the three years. Ace director K Raghavendra Rao will receive the same award for 2015.  NTR's contemporary and doyen of Telugu films, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Kannada Kantheerava Rajkumar, Dilip Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Amitabh Bachchan are some of the previous recipients of the prestigious award.