Film maker Nila Madhab Panda was honoured with the Padma Shri and the Odia filmmaker, who won international acclaim for his film 'I Am Kalam.Talking about the milestone moment, Nila said, "As I sat there in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, I remembered my whole journey, from a small village in Odisha, and I wondered why I was being given this award. Then I looked around at the other recipients, and realised that they did not set out to achieve something, to win someone's heart or make their families happy or make money. They had one thing in common - they had a dream, they loved doing something and they put all their heart and soul into it." He added, "I just love to tell stories and my films are not formula films. I am only proud and humbled by the fact that my work has had an impact on people and has found recognition. But it is just the beginning. A civilian award only means that now you have to do something for the betterment of the society because it has not been a solo journey - many have contributed in it."
