64th National Awards: Akshay Kumar, Neerja, Ventilator win big 

The jury of the 64th National Awards, led by filmmaker Priyadarshan, announced Akshay Kumar for the Best Actor Award for Rustom (2016). This is Kumar’s maiden National Award.

Rustom, Tinu Suresh Desai’s courtroom drama, was based on the KM Nanavati case in 1959 where a naval officer was accused of killing his wife’s lover. 2016 was a great year for Akshay Kumar as the actor dished out a hat-trick of Rs100-crore films – Rustom, Housefull 3 and Airlift.

Remarkably, Kumar didn't get any nomination at the popular Filmfare Awards.

The other big winner from the Hindi film industry was Ram Madhvani’s Neerja which won the Best Hindi Feature Film Award. Sonam Kapoor got a special mention for her role in the biopic Neerja.  

Amitabh Bahchan’s Pink was named the Best Film on Social Issues. Dangal actress Zaira Wasim was announced as the Best Supporting Actress. Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dhanak was named Best Children's Film.

CM Surabhi was voted Best Actress for the Malayalam film Minnaminunge.

The Best Film Award went to Marathi film Kaasav, directed by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar. Rajesh Mapuskar won the award for Best Director for Priyanka Chopra’s Marathi film Ventilator, which also bagged the Best Editing and Sound Mixing Award. Ajay Devgn's Shivaay, won the award for the Best Visual Effects.

The awards will be given out on 3 May.

Here's a complete list of winners.

Best Actor: Akshay Kumar for Rustom (Hindi film)

Best Actress: Surabhi C M for Minnaminungu-The Firefly (Malayalam film)

Best Director: Rajesh Mapuskar for Ventilator

Best Regional  Feature Film (Telugu): Pelli Choopulu

Best Editing and Sound Mixing: Ventilator (Marathi film)

Best Hindi film: Neerja

Best film on social issue: Pink (Hindi film)

Best Screenplay (original): Syam Pushkaran (Maheshinte Prathikaram)

Best Screenplay (adapted): Sanjay Krishnaji patel (Dashakriya)

Best Special Effects: Shivaay (Hindi film)

Best Children Film: Dhanak

Best Supporting Artist: Zaira Wasim for Dangal

Best male playback: Sundar Ayyar for Joker (Tamil film)

Best female playback: Praktan (Bengali film)

Best cinematographer: Tamil film 24

Best Costume: Marathi film Cycle

Best Gujrati Film: Wrong Side Raju

Stunt Choreographer: Peter Hein for Puli Murugan

Best VFX: 24 (Tamil film)

Best Production Design: 24

Best Make-up Artist: MK Ramakrishna

Best Music Direction: Babu Padmanabha

Best Non-Feature film: Fireflies in the Abyss

Best Short Fiction: Aaba

Best Educational Film: The Waterfall

Best Book On Cinema: Lata Surgatha

Best Biographical/Historical reconstruction: Zikr Uss Parivash Ka

Best Marathi film: Kasaav

Best Tamil Film: Joker

Best Malayalam Film: Maheshinte Prathikaaram

Best Kannada Film: Reservation

Special Mention: Kadwi Hawa, Mukti Bhavan, Adil Hussain for Mukti Bhavan and Sonam Kapoor for Neerja