Hyderabad, Jan 24

Kannada superstar Shivrajkumar on Sunday said he is glad that southern filmdom, which he considers even bigger than Bollywood, is getting its due at all major film awards.

"South film industry plays a pivotal role in Indian cinema from all angles. In my opinion, it's even bigger than Bollywood. In south, in Chennai, is where even Hindi cinema started," Shivrajkumar told reporters here on the sidelines of the first edition of IIFA Utsavam.

The two-day event is celebrating and honouring talent from the south film market.

After 16 years of its inception, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) is debuting in the southern market with Utsavam.

"It's been a long wait, nevertheless I'm glad we are getting some exclusivity," he said.