Though he has won many honours worldwide, winning an award in his hometown Chennai should obviously make A R Rahman more happy. On Friday, the Oscar-Grammy fame music composer was presented with Tamilian Award instituted by Puthiya Thalaimurai television.

Rahman was honoured with Saadhanai Thamizhan in the arts category. Veteran director K Balachander presented him the award. Balachander lauded Rahman as one whose breath and prayer was music. 

The awards were given to two persons in each category — Saadhanai Thamizhan (achiever) and Nambikkai Natchathiram (promising star). In the first category, industrialist Venu Srinnivasan, Cancer Institute chairperson V Shantha, chess champion Viswanathan Anand and agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan among others was honoured.

The highlight of the evening was the honouring of ‘promising stars' in each category: Chandra of Sakthi Arts Troupe (art), Gayathri Govindaraj, athlete, (sports), writer Su. Venkatesan (literature), Revathi (science and technology), Muruganandam (industry) and V. Muraleedharan of Sevalaya (social service).