Tamil actor Dhanush and Malayalam actor Salim Kumar shared the award for best actor. Dhanush and Salim were recognized for their work in 'Aadukalam' and 'Adaminde Makan Abu', respectively. The jury acknowledged the "two riveting performances that fuse character and actor into one" and praised Dhanush for his raw and nuanced portrayal of a cocky young man who learns lessons about life the hard way.Marathi actress Mitalee Jagtap Paradhar and Tamil cinema's Saranya won the National Award for best actress for their performances in the movies ‘Baboo Band Baaja’ and ‘Thenmerku Paruvakkaatru’ respectively. Vishal Bhardwaj's rural drama ‘Ishqiya’ won four National Awards including awards for best music for the director and best female playback singer for his wife Rekha Bhardwaj.
Arbaaz Khan's debut production venture ‘Dabangg’ starring Salman Khan got the National Award for wholesome entertainment.
Tamil director Veerimaran was named best director
Other awards:
Best music direction: Vishal Bharadwaj (Ishqiya)
Best hindi film : Do Dooni Chaar
Best production design/special effects : Yantiran (Robot)
Best English Film : Memories in March
Best singer male : Suresh Wadekar
Best singer female : Rekha Bharadwaj
