Showbiz

Ajay Devgn, Suriya win National Awards

Nidhi Khurana

July22/ 2022

Last Updated: 12:57:28

Tamil film Soorarai Pottru won the National Award for Best Feature at the 68th National Film Awards for 2020.

The film, inspired by the life of Air Deccan founder Captain G R Gopinath, also won Suriya the Best Actor award and Aparrna Balamurali the Best Actress prize.

Soorarai Pottru also won Best Screenplay for Shalini Usha Nair and Director Sudha Kongara as well as Best Music Direction (Background Score) for G V Prakash Kumar.

The second big winner of the day was the Ajay Devgn-starrer Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which bagged the awards for Best Actor for Devgn and Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

Devgn shared the Best Actor award with Suriya.

Directed by Om Raut, Tanhajiis based on the life of Tanaji Malusare, the military leader of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army. Set in the 17th century, the film also won the Best Costume Designer for Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla.

Devgn, who has previously won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performances in Zakhm (1998) and The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), said he was elated to receive the honour for the third time.

'I'm elated to win the Best Actor Award for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior at the 68th National Awards along with Suriya who won for Soorarai Pottru. I thank everyone, most of all my creative team, the audience and my fans. I also express my gratitude to my parents & the Almighty for their blessings. Congratulations to all the other winners,' Devgn said in a statement.

The late Malayalam film-maker Sachidanandan KR 'Sachy' was posthumously named Best Director for A K Ayyappanum Koshiyum.

Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli won the Best Supporting Actress Award for the Tamil film Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum.

Biju Menon bagged the Best Supporting Actor award for Ayyappanum Koshiyum.

The Best Hindi Film prize went to Toolsidas Junior, directed by Mridul Toolsidas.

The Ashutosh Gowariker production, which was the late actor Rajiv Kapoor's final film appearance, also received a Special Jury Mention for child actor Varun Buddhadev.

The prize for the Most Film Friendly state went to Madhya Pradesh, with Special Mention for Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Kishwar Desai's The Longest Kiss, based on 10 years of research and 400 letters written by cinema icon Devika Rani, received the award for the Best Book on Cinema.

The 10-member jury was headed by film-maker Vipul Shah. The awards were announced by jury member Dharam Gulati.

Best Music Direction: S Thaman for Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo

Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao and Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Taktak

Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma for Ayyappanum Koshiyam

Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for Saina

Best Audiography: Mi Vasantrao and Malik for Dollu

Best Choreography: Sandhya Raju for Natyam

Best Cinematography: Supratim Bhol for Avijatrik

Best Costume Design: Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrier

Best Production Design: Kappela

Best Editing: Sreekar Prasad for Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum

Best Make-up: TV Rambabu for Natyam

Best Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru, Sudha Kongara and Mandela, Madonne Ashwin

Best Stunt Choreography: Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Special Mentions: Aimee Baruah for Semkhor, Vaanku, June, Kishore Kadam for Avwanchhit & Godakaath, and Varun Buddhadev for Toolsidas Junior

Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior

Best Kannada Film: Dollu

Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam

Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum

Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo

Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi

Best Dimasa Film: Samkhor

Best Tulu Film: Jeetige

Best Marathi Film: Goshta Eka Paithanichi

Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik

Best Assamese Film: The Bridge

Best Non-feature Film: Testimony of Anna