Ganesan 's performance earned him the Best Actor award at the Afro-Asian Film Festival held from 29 February 11 March 1960 at Cairo . At the same ceremony , G. Ramanathan won the Best Music Director award and the film won Best Film . Ganesan was the first Indian actor to receive an international award , and he received his award from Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser . When he returned to Madras , South Indian Actors Guild president M. G. Ramachandran organised a large welcome reception for him . Ganesan wrote in his autobiography that at the Afro-Asian Film Festival , " I was called on stage and I went up a diminutive , five-foot nothing , looking boyish with my build , whereas they had expected me to be a colossus , on seeing Veerapandiya Kattabomman , at least seven or eight feet tall ! Irrespective of this they gave me a standing ovation for five minutes . " At the 7th National Film Awards , the film received a Certificate of Merit as part of the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil
7th National Film Awards
7th National Film Awards
Veerapandiya Kattabomman (film)