'Neerja', Akshay Kumar bag accolades at 64th National Film Awards

Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Pink' has won the Best Film on Social Issues

Akshay Kumar was chosen as Best Actor for Rustom and Surabhi C M was named Best Actress for Malayalam movie Minnaminungu - The Firefly at the 64th Indian National Film Awards, announced on Friday.

Akshay's performance in crime thriller Rustom has been lauded for "a perfect portrayal of a character caught in personal and social turmoil".

In the Best Supporting Actor category, veteran actor Manoj Joshi has won for Marathi film Dashakriya, and among the actresses, Kashmiri talent Zaira Wasim's "portrayal of a female sportsperson's battle with the society with utmost maturity" in Dangal has been awarded by the jury.



Zaira had played young Geeta Phogat in Dangal.

Sonam Kapoor-starrer Neerja has been chosen as the Best Hindi film at the awards.

Sonam has received a special mention for her "convincing performance of a real life icon".

The movie is based on air-hostess Neerja Bhanot, who displayed utmost courage to deal with armed terrorists and sacrificed her life to save others.

The braveheart gave up her life two days before she would have turned 23, to save a large group of American children during a hijack of a Pan-Am flight.

An inspirational tale, the film, directed by Ram Madhvani, was appreciated for its performances by Sonam and Shabana Azmi, who played her mother on screen.

In the Best Special Effects category, Ajay Devgn's Shivaay took away the accolades.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan starrer Pink -- which raked up discussions on crimes against women -- has won the Best Film on Social Issues at 64th National Film Awards.

Directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, the courtroom drama is a contemporary youth-centric film with a strong socially relevant message about the choices young women of today make and about respecting those. Its prime message was "no means no".

With a cast including Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Angad Bedi, Andrea Tariang, Piyush Mishra, and Dhritiman Chatterjee, the movie was lauded for its brilliant performances and strong message.



It tells a story about a girl named Minal, who after being molested, along with her friends, tries to file an FIR against a politician's nephew. When the subsequent case gets rigged, Deepak, a retired lawyer, helps them to fight the case.

The powerful dialogues and strong screenplay were appreciated by the audience and the critics alike.

The 64th National Film Awards jury was chaired by veteran film-maker Priyadarshan.

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