Ansari to give away National Film Awards on May 3

Vice President M Hamid Ansari will give away the prestigious national film awards to winners on May 3. Sources said that while the National Film awards have on most occasions in the past been conferred by the President, it is not possible this year since President Pratibha Patil is currently on a foreign visit. Officials said that May 3, 2012 also marks the beginning of the hundredth year since the first screening of 'Raja Harishchandra' and the 59th National Film Awards ceremony would also start the centenary year celebration of Indian cinema. The winners have already been announced and the Best Film award will be shared by films Deool (Marathi) produced by Abhijeet Gholap and directed by Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni and Byari (Byari language) produced by T.H. Althaf Hussain and directed by Suveeran. The Best Actor award has gone to Girish Kulkarni for film Deool (Marathi) and Best Actress to Vidya Balan for the film The Dirty Picture (Hindi). Veteran Bengali film actor Soumitra Chatterjee will be honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award.