Image for Priyanka, Arjun in f

New Delhi, March 19: President Pratibha Patil on Friday conferred the 56th National Film Awards for 2008 to the illustrious winners in a glittering function held at Vigyan Bhavan here. Eminent cinematographer V.K. Murthy received a standing ovation and thunderous applause when the

President decorated him with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2008. Murthy, who shot India’s first cinemascope movie Kagaz Ke Phool, is the first cinematographer to get the award since its inception in 1969.
Priyanka Chopra and Arjun Rampal also joined an elite club of winners after being presented with National Awards for best actress and best supporting actor respectively. A total of 130 awardees in 69 categories received medals and citations from the President.
Congratulating the winners, President Patil noted that every Indian was proud of the international acclaim, awards and growing interest in Indian cinema across the world. “Cinema needs to be continuously nurtured, as a part of our efforts to not only excel in filmmaking, but also to use it as a medium to give expression to the importance of a humane approach in life,” she said.
“Our film industry can play a part in bringing a progressive and fast developing India, anchored in thousands of years of a rich civilisation, to the minds of viewers,” the President added. Taking note of the best child artiste award to Master Shams Patel, the President expressed the hope this award would make more people aware of the plight of streetchildren.
Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said the robust growth and development of the film industry was high on the UPA government’s agenda, and her ministry was ready to facilitate this in every possible way. The minister said future National Awards would be upscaled, and said she hoped to spearhead the participation and promotion of Indian cinema in key markets and festivals abroad in a bigger way.
Among notable winners honoured on Friday were director Haobam Paban Kumar for best non-feature film AFSPA 1958; Umesh Kulkarni for best direction for Three of Us; Ganesh Anantharaman for best book on cinema Bollywood Melodies (English); Altaf Mazid and R.K. Bidur Singh in the best film critic category; director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury for best feature film Antaheen (Bengali);  director Neeraj Pandey and Ronnie Screwwala of UTV Motion Pictures for the Indira Gandhi award for best first film A Wednesday (Hindi); director Dibakar Banerjee for best popular film providing wholesome entertainment Oye Lucky! Lucy Oye (Hindi); director Abhaya Simha for best children’s film Gubbachigalu (Kannada); director Jugal Hansraj for best animation film Roadside Romeo (Hindi); director Bala for Naan Kadavul (Tamil); Upendra Limaye for best actor in Marathi film Jogva; Priyanka Chopra for best actress in Fashion (Hindi); Arjun Rampal for best supporting actor in Rock On (Hindi); Farhan Akhtar as producer for best Hindi film Rock On; Kangana Ranaut for best supporting actress in Fashion; Master Shams Patel for best child artiste in Thanks Maa (Hindi); Hariharan for best male playback singer for Jogva; Neeta Lulla for best costume designer for Jodhaa Akbar and the all-woman producer-director team for best film on family values Little Zizou.
For the first time the National Awards ceremony was hosted by film personalities Divya Dutta and Ashutosh Rana. The live rendition of Hariharan’s award-winning song in the Marathi film Jogva — Jeev Dangla Gungla Rangla; and Bonnie Chakravorty’s performance of the best choreographed award-winning song of Jodhaa Akbar — Azeem-o-shaan Shahenshah — enthralled the audience.
 

Age Correspondent