JOIN USA star-spangled show at National Awards
Veteran producer D Ramanaidu was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Except veteran musician Illyaraja, who bagged the award for his background score in
“Pazhassi Raja”, and Ranjan Palit, who has been awarded for the best voiceover, all other winners were present at the function.
While Bachchan received the Best Actor Award for his performance in “Paa”, Aamir Khan-starrer “3 Idiots” got the award for the best popular movie. But it was Malayalam drama “Kutty Srank” which walked away with five awards, including the best feature film.
“Kutty Srank”, with Mammootty in the lead, also won awards for best cinematography, best screenplay, best costume and a special jury recognition which it shared with Bollywood hit “Kaminey” and Malayalam film “Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja”. While producer Reliance Big Picture and director Shaji N Karun of “Kutty Srank” received Swarna Kamal and Rs 2.5 lakh each, the producer and director of “3 Idiots” — Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raj Kumar Hirani—got Swarna Kamal and Rs 2 lakh each.
Bachchan got a standing ovation when he received the Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000 from the President. His wife Jaya, son Abhishek Bachchan and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai were present at the function when the actor received his fourth national award. Raykesh Omprakash Mehra’s “Delhi 6” bagged the Nargis Dutt Award for the best feature film on national integration while Shyam Benegal’s “Well Done Abba” was chosen as the best movie on social issues.
R Balki’s “Paa” also got the best Hindi film, besides winning recognition in the best supporting actress category (Arundhuti Nag) and best make-up (Christein Tinsley and Dominie Till).
Amit Trivedi got the Best Music Director Award for Anurag Kashyap’s “Dev-D”. The emotional number ‘Behti hawa sa tha woh’ from “3 Idiots” bagged the Best Lyrics Award for Swanand Kirkere.
The Best Children’s Film Award was shared by “Putaani Party” in Kannada and “Keshu” in Malayalam. Sreeraam and D S Kishor shared the Best Child Actor Award. Telugu film “Magadheera” bagged awards for special effects and choreography.
The Best Audiography award was shared by Oscar winner Resul Pookutty and Amrit Pritam for “Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja’, Subash Sahoo (location sound) for “Kaminey” and Anup Dev (re-recordist of the final missed track) for “3 Idiots”.