It was a stellar day for Bollywood as Amitabh Bachchan and Kangana Ranaut bagged the top acting honours at the 63rd National Film Awards, which were announced here on Monday. While Ms. Ranaut picked up the Best Actress award for Tanu Weds Manu Returns , Mr. Bachchan won for Piku .
S.S. Rajamouli’s magnum opus Baahubali was declared the Best Feature Film while Bajrangi Bhaijaan won the Best Popular Film award.
Tamil star Samuthirakani picked up the Best Supporting Actor award for Visaranaai , a thriller based on the novel Lock Up by M. Chandrakumar. Tanvi Azmi won the Best Supporting Actress award for Bajirao Mastani , while the film’s director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, bagged the Best Director award.
The prestigious awards — announced by a jury set up by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry — are given away by the President. There are 30 categories in the Feature Films segment and 22 in the non-feature films one.
In a newly introduced category, Gujarat was declared the most film-friendly State while Uttar Pradesh and Kerala earned special mentions. Gujarat’s single-widow clearance facility, dedicated web portal, international promotions, database of product facilities and hotels helped it clinch the award.
Here are the other winners:
- Best Tamil Film is >Visaranai . The film also bagged the awards in Best Editing and Best Supporting Actor (Samuthirakani) categories.
- Best Sanskrit Film is Priyamanasam
- Best Hindi Film award goes to >Dum Laga Ke Haisha
- Best Background score award goes to Ilayarajaa for >Thara Thappattai . This is Ilayarajaa's fifth national award.
- Special Jury Award award goes to Kalki Koechlin for playing a girl with cerebral palsy in ' >Margarita With A Straw '
- Best Song: "Kaathirunnu" by Jayachandran in >Ennum Ninte Moideen
- Best Choreography Award goes to Remo D'Souza for Bajirao Mastani
- Special Mention award for Ritika Singh for her role in >Irudhi Suttru
- Best popular film award goes to >Bajrangi Bhaijaan, starring Salman Khan
- Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Director goes to Neeraj Ghaywan for >Masaan
- Best Film on Social Issues is Nirnayakam
- Best Telugu Film award goes to Kanche
- Best Kannada Film is Thithi
- Best Malayalam Film is Pathemaari, starring Mamooty
- Best Supporting Actress award goes to Tanvi Azmi for Bajirao Mastani
- Best Screenplay Writer (Original) award goes to Juhi Chaturvedi (Piku) and Himanshu Sharma ( Tanu Weds Manu Returns )
- Best Screenplay – Dialogues award goes to Juhi Chaturvedi (Piku) and Himanshu Sharma ( Tanu Weds Manu Returns )
