Dedicating the honour to her family, an emotionally overwhelmed she said, "I'm thrilled. I'm overjoyed. I'm overwhelmed. I'm honoured. I'm humbled...! I'm running out of words to express my feelings and gratitude."
Balan is known for portraying strong female protagonists in films like 'Paa', 'Ishqiya', 'No One Killed Jessica', 'The Dirty Picture' and 'Kahaani'.
"To be receiving this honour from the government of my country is a matter of great pride for me and I dedicate this award to my family who make me, me!," she went to add.