Odisha is a model state: Kamal Haasan

Hailing Odisha as a "model state" with many ideas, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Tuesday said he is seeking knowledge and experience from the state to be replicated in Tamil Nadu.

The founder president of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party said this after being honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by a private university of technology and management here. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik presented the doctorate to Haasan at a function.

"Odisha is a model state and we are trying to seek knowledge from here so that we can make Tamil Nadu like this," Haasan said.

The renowned actor said the MNM is seeking knowledge and experience other states which are forerunners in some ideas or the other and Odisha remains a forerunner in many ideas.

Haasan said he felt honoured that the chief minister could spare time to share his wisdom for MNM (Peoples Centre for Justice), a regional party founded by him in Tamil Nadu.

The actor, who had met Patnaik here on Monday evening after his arrival in the city, said his Odisha visit was also an educational tour as he gathered ideas during his interaction with the leader.

Describing the actor as a "towering personality" in Indian cinema, the chief minister said "Mr Haasan is a legend who has served the nation throughout his life through art, cinema and humanitarian works. He has made many new experiments in cinema. His silent movie Pushpak has been hailed as an all-time great in the world of cinema."