64th National Film Awards: 'Neerja' wins Best Hindi Film award, Best Actor is Akshay

The winners of the 64th Annual National Awards were announced today at the National Media Centre, in New Delhi.

Ram Madhvani's 'Neerja' has been announced the winner in the 'Hindi Feature Film'category.

The film, released last year, narrates the story of Neerja Bhanot, a Pan Am purser, who lost her life while saving the passengers when the Pan Am was hijacked at Karachi airport on September 5 1986.

Sonam Kapoor, 'Neerja's lead actor, also gets a special mention by the jury.

Other than this, Akshay Kumar won the National Award in the 'Best Actor' category for the movie 'Rustom,' while Best Actress went to Surabhi for Malayalam movie 'Minnaminungu'.

Nagesh Kukunoor's film 'Dhanak' is awarded with 'Best Children's Film,' while 'PINK' took home the national award for 'Best Film on Social Issues.'

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Animation: Hum Chitra Banate Hain

Best Educational Film: The Waterfalls

Best Environment Film: The Tiger Who Crossed the Line

Best Biographical/Historical reconstruction: Zikr Uss Parivash Ka

Best Environmental Film including Agriculture: The Tiger who crossed the Line'

Best Marathi Film: Dashakriya

Best Kannada Film: Reservation

Best Bengali Film: Bisarjan

Best Film on Social Issues: PINK

Best Tamil Film: Joker

Best Gujarati Film: Wrong Side Raju

Best Telugu Movie: Pellichuplu

Best Visual Effects: Shivaay

Best Female Playback Singer: Iman Chakraborty

Best Male Playback Singer: Sunder Iyer

Best Actor: Akshay Kumar, 'Rustom'

Best Actress: Surabhi, 'Minnaminungu'

Best Children's Film: Dhanak, Hindi

Best Supporting Actress: Zaira Wasim, 'Dangal'

Best Supporting Actor: Manoj Joshi, 'Dashakriya'

Best Film on Social Issues: Pink

Best Action Choreography: Vysakh for Pulimurugan

Best Feature Film: Kasav (Marathi film)

Best Director: Rajesh Mapuskar, 'Ventilator'

Indira Gandhi Award for debut director: Khalifa (Bengali)

Best action director and stunt choreographer: Peter Haines, 'Pulimurugan'

Best Editing - Rameshwar, 'Ventilator'

Sound designer - Jayadevan, 'Kaadu Pookunna Neram'

Best production design - 24

Best Costume Designer - Sachin

Best Make-up Artist - MK Ramakrishna

Best Music Direction - Babu Padmanabha

Special Mentions:

The Eyes of Darkness

Kadvi Hawa

Adil Hussain for Mukti Bhawan (Hindi)

Adil Hussain for Majirathi Keki (Assamese)

Sonam Kapoor (Neerja)

Madipur (Tulu)

Joker (Tamil)

Wrongside Raju (Gujarati)

Pelli Chupulu (Telugu)

Dasakriya (Marathi)

Maheshinte Prathikaram (Malayalam)

Ke Sara Sara (Konkini)

Reservation (Kannada)

Neerja (Hindi)

- Special Jury award for Mohanlal for Pulimurugan, Janatha Garage and Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol

Total of 344 films were competing for the top spot, and the jury saw a 89 movies of all those movies.

The jury included eminent film director, producer and National Award winner, Priyadarshan, as the chairperson in Feature Films category.