New Delhi: The 55th National Film Awards for (for the year 2007) were announced in New Delhi on Monday and southern cinema scored big at the awards.
Kanchivaram, director Priyadarshan's off-beat Tamil movie, which has been the toast of every international film festival from Toronto to Berlin, finally won its due in India.
Priyadarshan's depiction of the life of Kancheepuram silk weavers in pre-independence India has won the national award for best film of 2007.
"We were spoilt for choice this year and the jury selected the best and there are no arguments about it," said eminent filmmaker Sai Paranjpye.
Prakash Raj, who played a poor weaver in the film, has won the best actor prize beating box office favourites like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan.
Kannada actress Umasri has won the best actress award for her performance in Girish Kasravall's Gulabi talkies. Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, a national awards regular, has won his seventh best director trophy for "Four Women."
Darshan Zariwala has won the best supporting actor award for Feroz Khan and Anil Kapor's Gandhi My Father. The film has also won the best screenplay and jury's choice awards.
Shefali Chhaya was judged best actress in a supporting role for Last Lear. Aamir Khan's debut directorial venture Taare Zameen Par is the best film on family welfare.
Lyricist Prasoon Joshi and playback singer Shankar Mahadevan have also won awards for the same film. SRK starrer Chak de India won the prize for wholesome entertainer of the year.