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 National Film Awards, announced here on Friday.
Akshay's performance in crime thriller "Rustom" -- a film loosely based on the
commander K.M. Nanavati case -- has been lauded for "a perfect portrayal of a character caught in personal and social turmoil".
Surabhi has been honoured for showcasing her brilliance in portraying pain and ecstasy of a mother in a deplorable social condition in the Malayalam film.
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".
The 64th National Film Awards jury was chaired by veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan.