New Delhi, September 7
Filmmaker Priyadarshan’s Tamil film ‘Kanchivaram’, a period drama about silk weavers of the south, was chosen as the best movie at the 55th National Film Awards announced here.

Tamil actor Prakash Raaj pipped Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan to bag the Best Actor award for his role in ‘Kanchivaram’.

Raaj had earlier won the Best Supporting Actor award for his ‘Iruvar’ in 1998 and also a special Jury Award in 2003.

Veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has got the Best Director’s award for his film ‘Naalu Pennungal’. This will be his seventh national award.

He was named among the host of other winners of the National Film Awards announced for the year 2007 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting today.

Actress Umashree has bagged the Best Actress award for her performance in Girish Kasaravalli’s Kannada film ‘Gulabi Talkies’, which depicts the transformation of the people of a small fishing village after their exposure to colour television.

The Best Child Actor award has gone to Sharad Goyekar for his role in the Marathi film ‘Tingya’. Actor Darshan Zariwala has won the best supporting actor award for his role in Feroz Abbas Khan’s film ‘Gandhi- My Father’, which is the only Hindi film to bag two more awards for Best Screenplay for Khan and Special Jury award.

‘Maa’, the soul-stirring song from Aamir Khan’s directorial debut ‘Taare Zameen Par’ has won lyricist Prasoon Joshi his first National award.

Joshi, who has penned songs for some of the biggest Bollywood hits in recent times, won the award in the ‘Best Lyrics’ category. The song, which was picturised on Darsheel Safari and Tisca Chopra in the movie, also won the Best Playback Singer award for Shankar Mahadevan. “It is a great feeling. TZP is a film very close to my heart and the song is really special. After an appreciation from the audiences, getting the National award it is like ‘Sone Pe Suhaga’,” Joshi said.

A beautiful piece of poetry, the song ‘Maa’ echoes the dedication of a child towards his mother. Joshi’s soulful words give a glimpse of a child’s sensitivity and emotions. He has already won the 2008 Filmfare Best Lyricist Award for the song.

When asked what was the inspiration while penning the lines, Joshi said, “It is my truth. I feel if someone writes with total honesty it will strike a chord. I told my genuine feelings in the song which is why I think it touched many hearts.”

The jury members for the National Awards headed by Sai Paranjpe included Ashok Viswanathan and Namita Gokhale. About 102 films and 106 non-feature films were considered. The list had been finalised last week but because of the death of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy, the announcement was postponed. — PTI