"I am greatly indebted to Kerala as it was Malayalam cinema that spotted the artiste in me, nursed and helped me come up," Kamal Hassan said on Sunday.

The actor was speaking at the annual Onam festival organised by the Kerala government in Thiruvananthapuram, where he was honoured by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan for his completion of 50 years in cinema.

Achuthanandan honoured the 'Ulaga Nayagan' by presenting him a shawl and paid glowing tributes to him as an artiste and socially-concerned individual.

In his address, Kamal said, "I am at a loss for words to express how deeply I am indebted to Malayalis. It was they who helped me come up forgiving my shortcomings as an artiste."

A light-and-sound show titled 'Suvarna Kamalam' to mark Kamal's 50 years in Indian cinema, conceived by ace filmmaker T K Rajiv Kumar, was staged. Ministers and veterans from different fields honoured Kamal at the function.