Singing
legend
SP
Balasubramaniam
fell
ill
shortly
after
receiving
the
inaugural
Lifetime
Achievement
award
at
a
function
here
a
days
ago.
Balasubrahmanyam,
67,
who
was
last
heard
in
Chennai
Express,
sang
a
line
each
in
15
languages
receiving
the
award
at
the
International
Indian
Film
Festival
of
South
Africa
(IIFFSA).
A
dinner
event,
which
was
supposed
with
him,
was
also
cancelled
now.
IFFSA
is
aimed
at
promoting
cultural
links
among
the
Indian
and
South
African
film
fraternity.
Awards
were
made
in
various
categories
for
regional
language
films
from
both
countries.
Mohan
Agashe
won
the
Best
Actor
Award
for
his
role
in
Astu
and
Veena
Jamkar
the
best
actress
award
for
Taapal.
South
African
Best
Actor
was
John
Henry
Opperman
in
the
Afrikaans
film
Musiek
in
die
Agtergrond
(Music
in
the
Background)
and
Best
Actress
Jay
Anstey
in
Sleeper's
Wake.
Opperman
said
IFFSA
was
very
significant
in
that
the
recognition
of
the
unique
Afrikaans
film
industry
in
South
Africa
by
India
confirmed
that
this
community
still
had
a
major
role
to
play
in
the
country.
Awards
were
also
made
for
the
best
short
film,
best
documentary
and
best
feature
film
in
Each
country,
with
a
jury
from
India
judging
the
South
African
films
and
vice
versa.
Lessons
in
Forgetting,
directed
by
Unni
Vijayan,
won
the
best
Indian
feature
film
award
and
Verraiers
(Traitors)
directed
by
Paul
Eilers
was
named
best
South
African
feature
film.
Supported
by
the
National
Video
and
Film
Foundation
of
South
Africa,
IFFSA
is
set
to
become
an
annual
event,
said
organiser
Rajiv
Terwadkar.