64th National Awards: President Pranab Mukherjee Honours Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Zaira Wasim; See Photos

It is indeed a big day for several big and popular names from our showbiz industry. For their perseverance and commitment gets acknowledged with the prestigious National Awards. President Pranab Mukherjee today presented the 64th National Awards to the winners in the capital today.

The 64th National Film Awards jury – which was chaired by veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan – had declared the winners on April 7.

While Akshay Kumar was chosen as Best Actor for Rustom, Surabhi C.M. was named Best Actress for Malayalam movie Minnaminungu - The Firefly. Akshay's performance in thriller Rustom -- a film loosely based on the commander K.M. Nanavati case – was appreciated for "a perfect portrayal of a character caught in personal and social turmoil".

Surabhi was honoured for displaying her genius in portraying both pain and elation of a mother in a appalling social condition in the Malayalam film.

Veteran actor Manoj Joshi bagged the Best Supporting Actor awards for his performance in Marathi film Dashakriya. Kashmir-born actress Zaira Wasim - who has lauded for depicting a female sportsperson's battle with the society with maturity in Dangal was also awarded by the jury under the Best Supporting Actor category. Zaira had essayed the role of young Geeta Phogat in Nitesh Tiwari's directorial.

Sonam won National Film Award Special Mention for her performance in Neerja.

Neerja is a biographical thriller film, whose plot centers on the hijacking of a Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan, on September 1986. It tells the heroic tale of Neerja Bhanot, an air hostess, who lost her life while saving others.