Tamil, Malayalam movies sweep top national awards

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Southern movies won the top honours at the 58th National Film Awards announced Thursday. While Tamil movie 'Aadukalam' was named in six top categories, Malayalam film 'Adaminte Makan Abu' picked up four honours. Marathi films also put up a great show.

Among Tamil films, 'Aadukalam' walked away with the maximum trophies, including best director award for Vetrimaran; best actor for Dhaush; best original screenplay for Vetrimaran; best editing for T.E. Kishore; best choreography for Dinesh Kumar; and special mention for V.I.S. Jayaraman.

In total, Tamil movies got 14 awards, including best actress for Saranya Ponvannan for 'Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru', which also got Vairamuthu the best lyricist award and was named the best Tamil film.

V. Srinivas M. Mohan got the best special effects award for 'Endhiran', while Sabu Cyril got the best production design award for the Rajnikanth starrer blockbuster.

J. Thambi Ramaiah was named best supporting actor for 'Mynaa' and Sukumari won the best supporting actress award for 'Namma Gramam', while best costume designer award went to Indrans Jayan for 'Namma Gramam'.

Malayalam films got six national awards and 'Adaminte Makan Abu' topped the list. It was named best feature film, Salim Kumar got the best actor award, Madhu Ambat picked up the best cinematography trophy and Issak Thomas Kottakapally got the best music director award.

Starring Zarina Wahab and Salim Kumar, 'Adaminte Makan Abu' is a touching tale of the efforts made by an elderly Muslim couple to go on the much cherished Haj, while 'Aadukalam' is set in the backdrop of a town where cockfights are common.

Sound designer Subhadeep Sengupta won the best audiography award for Malayalam film 'Chitrasutram', while 'Veettilekkulla Vazhil' was named the best Malyalam movie.

As many as nine awards were given to Marathi movies. Among them, 'Mee Sidhutai Sapkal', an inspiring, true-life story of a Maharashtrian woman's fight against social ills, and 'Baboo Band Baaja' about a tug-of-war between fate and hope, got three awards each in various categories.

'Mee Sidhutai Sapkal' won the special jury award, best male playback singer for Suresh Wadkar and best screenpaly (adapted) for Anant Mahadevan and Sanjay Pawar.

Rajesh Pinjani-helmed 'Baboo Band Baaja' picked up the Indira Gandhi award for best debut film of a director. Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar was named the best actress and Vivek Chabukswar the best child artist for the movie.

Ohter winners include 'Champions', which was named best film on social issues. The film also got Shantanu Ranganekar and Machindra Gadkar the best child artist awards.

'Mala Aai Vhhaychay' walked away with best Marathi film trophy.

There were three awards for Kannada movies - best film on environment conservation and preservation for 'Bettada Jeeva'; best children's film for 'Hejjegalu'; and best Kannada film for 'Puttakkana Highway'.

The year 2010 was not so good for the Hindi film industry and this was reflected at the national awards' annoucement. While most of top awards were swept by the southern movies, Arbaaz Khan's debut production venture 'Dabangg' starring Salman Khan got the national award for best wholesome entertainment and Rishi Kapoor-Neetu Singh's middle-class family drama 'Do Dooni Chaar' was named best Hindi feature film.

Vishal Bhardwaj's rural drama 'Ishqiya' won four awards, including that of best music and best female playback singer for the producer's wife, Rekha Bhardwaj.

'Ishqiya' was also cited for best location sound recordist (Kamod Karade) and best re-recordist of the final mixed track (Debajit Changmai).

Bengali films, too, didn't put up a great show with just three awards -- the Nargis Dutt award for best feature film on national integration for 'Moner Manush'; best make-up artist for Vikram Gaikwad for the same film and best Bengali film award for 'Ami Aadu'.