Best Actor award for Prakash Raj, Best Film KancheevaramIndia News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Actor Prakash Raj has won the Best Actor award in the 55th National Awards for his sterling performance as a silk weaver in Priyadarshan's Tamil film Kanchivaram, which has been adjudged as the Best Film of 2007. It is Prakash Raj's second National award. The previous one was in the Best Supporting Actor category for Mani Ratnam's Iruvar in 1998 and a special jury award in 2003. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film depicts the lives and times of silk-weavers of Kancheepuram in pre-Independent India. Actor Umashree has won the Best Actress award for her performance for her lead role 'Gulabi' in Girish Kasaravalli's Kannada film "Gulabi Talkies". The Gulabi Talkies, which was made in the coastal dialect of Kannada is based on the communal tension in Karnataka. The best child actor award has gone to Sharad Goyekar for his role in the Marathi film "Tingya". Darshan Zariwala has got the best supporting actor award for his role in Feroz Abbas Khan's film "Gandhi My Father". actor Prakash Raj has won the Best Actor award in the 55th National Awards for his sterling performance as a silk weaver in Priyadarshan's Tamil film Kanchivaram, which has been adjudged as the Best Film of 2007. "It's a very human story of pre-partition time about Kanjivaram. The film's script was written so well that I didn't require any homework. It is It is Prakash Raj's second National award. The previous one was in the Best Supporting Actor category for Mani Ratnam's Iruvar in 1998 and a special jury award in 2003. The Anil Kapoor produced film 'Gandhi, My Father' has won two National Awards while the Shahrukh-starrer 'Om Shanti Om' has won in the Best Art Direction category, and Shahid Kapur-starrer 'Jab We Met' won the award in Best Choreography category in the 55th National Awards that were announced on Monday. Gandhi, My Father was pitted against commercial successes like Taare Zameen Par and Chak De. Feroz Abbas Khan, the director of the Gandhi, My Father won the National Award for Best Screenplay and Darshan Zariwala bagged theaward for the Best Supporting actor for portraying Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation who strives hard to have a normal relationship with his son in the film. There is also a special jury award for this film, which explores the troubled relationship between Harilal Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi. "Chak De" has got the award in the wholesome entertainment category and "Taare Zameen Par" in the family welfare category. Playback singer Shankar Mahadevan has won the award for the song "Meri Maa" from the film "Taare Zameen Par". 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 finalized last week but because of the death of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy, the announcement was postponed.