Chennai Aug 13 - Yesteryears actress Rekha gives credit to her directors for her on-screen image and says that a director is more like a guide.

'I'm what I'm on celluloid because of one person - the director. And I would like to salute the parenting, nurturing and guiding roles of a director,' Rekha said here on Wednesday. She was speaking at the annual Gollapudi Srinivas National Award ceremony in the city where she was born and brought up.

Presented in the memory of film director Gollapudi Srinivas, who died in an accident during the shoot of his maiden venture in 1992, the award is given to a debutant director every year.

This year, the honour went to young filmmaker Paresh Mokashi for his Marathi movie 'Harishchandrachi Factory'. He made his film on Dada Saheb Phalke, who is considered the father of Indian cinema.

Filmmakers Nagesh Kukunoor, Rakeysh Mehra and Rajiv Menon as well as singer K.J. Yesudas were also present on the occasion.