The award carries Rs 1 lakh, citation and memento. Jose Prakash first entered the film as a singer after serving briefly in the army in 1950s.

Since then he has done memorable roles, mostly as villain in over 300 films during his long career. The annual award has been instituted in memory of J C Daniel, considered as father of Malayalam cinema.

He directed the first Malayalam movie Vigathakumaran (1928). Tweet (less)

The award carries Rs 1 lakh, citation and memento. Jose Prakash first entered the film as a singer after serving briefly in the army in 1950s.

Since then he has done memorable roles, mostly as villain in over 300 films during his long career. The annual award has been instituted in memory of J C Daniel, considered as father of Malayalam cinema.

He directed the first Malayalam movie Vigathakumaran (1928). Tweet (less)

He said Sreekumar was responding well to treatment and ventilator support might be removed this evening. The car driver, who was also injured in the accident, has been shifted to a room after his condition improved, he said.

Sreekumar, who was on his way to Kodagu in Karnataka to shoot a Malayalam film Idavappathy was seriously injured when his car slammed into a road median at nearby Tenhipalam last Saturday and overturned. Sreekumar's son-in-law Shaon said the family is grateful to the hospital and thousands of people who had prayed for the early recovery of the veteran actor, who has acted in over 1100 films.

Innocent, President of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists and actor Vijayaraghavan were among those visited Sreekumar at the hospital yesterday. Tweet (less)

The 61-year actor, who suffered multiple injuries in chest, abdomen and leg, was responding to medicines well and hisblood pressure and functioning of kidneys are normal. However, he will continue to remain on ventilator for a couple of daysmore, he said.

He said surgeries for correction of right thigh and right arm fractures would be done "most probably" dependingon his condition. Sreekumar,who has acted in over 1,000 films doing a variety of roles, largely as a comedian, met with the accidenton his way to Kodagu in Karnataka for the shooting of a new movie when his car rammed into the road median and overturnedat nearby Tenhippalam in wee hours on March 10.

Works on about 10 projects in which Sreekumar figures are held up in view of the accident, sources in film industry said. Tweet (less)

A committee of film personalities, headed by noted producer G Adiseshagiri Rao, selected Sarada for the NTR Award, officials said. The panel also selected other prominent movie personalities for different awards.

Noted Telugu director B Narsing Rao, who made some critically-acclaimed films, was chosen for the B N Reddy National Film Award. Leading film producer A V M Saravanan won the Nagireddy-Chakrapani National Film Award.

The Raghupati Venkaiah Award was announced for senior actor, producer and director M Balaiah. Yedida Nageswara Rao, who produced award-winning films like Sankarabharanam , would get the Special Jury award.

The awards would be presented by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Telugu New Year `Ugadi' on March 23. Tweet (less)

The Artist , a black and white film about a silent movie star who fears his downfall after the arrival of talkies, also won in the best costume and best original score categories. The movie is said to be the second silent film to have ever won an Oscar -- the first being 1927 film Wings , which was awarded at the first Academy Awards in 1929.

Hugo , directed by Martin Scorsese, won more in the techical categories. Set in 1930s Paris, it is a 3D adventure drama about a boy embroiled in the mystery of his father's death and an automaton.

The film took away the honours in best cinematography, best art direction, best sound editing, best sound mixing and visual effects categories. Veteran actress Meryl Streep received her third Oscar at the glittering ceremony at the Kodak Theatre here Sunday night.

She won the best actress award for her portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady , which won the best makeup award too. American actress Octavia Spencer was left in tears as she was awarded the best supporting actress trophy for Reliance DreamWorks' The Help , in which she essayed the role of a big-mouthed maid named Minny.

The best actor in a supporting role award went to Christopher Plummer for The Beginners . At at 82, he is said to be the oldest winner of the golden statuette.

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash were awarded for the best adapted screenplay of The Descendants , which has been translated to screen from Kaui Hart Hemmings' eponymous novel, while Woody Allen won the best original screenplay for romantic comedy Midnight in Paris . Rango , a movie about a chameleon, was named the best animated feature film, and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr.

Morris Lessmore took away the best animated short trophy at the awards gala. The best foreign film award was given to Iranian film A Separation , which also won the Golden Globe trophy in the same category this year.

India's official entry in the category -- Malayalam film Adaminte Makan Abu , had even failed to make it to the top nine shortlist. Pakistani documentary film Saving Face , which uncovers the story of hundreds of people, mostly women who become acid attack victims, received the best documentary (short) title, while Undefeated won the award in the best documentary (feature) category.

The Oscar for original song went to Man and Muppets from The Muppets . The number was composed by Bret McKenzie.

The best film editing award was bagged by Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall for David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , and the best live action short film went to The Shore . Tweet (less)

But the girl's dreams were cut short when she was killed in Monday's plane crash in Nepal. Her mother Geeta, who was travelling with her, also died in the mishap.

The two were part of a group of Indians who had chartered the Agni Air flight for a pilgrimage to Muktinath in Nepal. Taruni's father Haresh Sachdeva and his friend Ajay Jain have gone to Nepal to bring the bodies back.

"The bodies are being shipped by Agni Air but we are paying the fare. We will reach Mumbai tomorrow," Jain said.

The vivacious Taruni, who became one of the most poplar faces on television-she was the Rasna girl-had won the hearts of her directors and fellow actors, right from Amitabh Bachchan, with whom she had shared screen space in both ads and a film, to Karishma Kapoor. It was in an ad film where director Vinayan first spotted her and chose her for his Malayalam horror film, Vellinakshtram , starring Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Vinayan said, "I saw her in an ad with Mr Amitabh Bachchan. I got her number from the agency and called her.

When her mother Geeta handed the phone to her, Taruni said, 'uncle, I want to act in films'. She was an extraordinary child, full of life.

She was always with me all through Vellinakshtram . It is shocking that she is no more.

" Vinayan is so fond of the child that he has even posted his photograph with her on a social networking site. After Vellinakshtram, Vinayan also cast Taruni in his next film, Sathyam, where she acted with Sukumaran again.

A couple of months ago, Taruni was in Kerala shooting for a commercial. Vinayan said, "From there, she called me up to tell me that she wanted to be in my film.

I told her that we will definitely meet to speak about it. She said, 'Thank you, uncle'.

And those were her last words to me." Taruni was probably the first 11-year-old to have played the Big B's girlfriend in a movie.

Abhishek Bachchan , who was an assistant director of Paa , only had words of praise for the girl, who would play around the sets and chat with everyone. "She was a brilliant kid.

She was not only a good actor but also a well-informed child who had knowledge about everything that was happening around the world," he said. Amitabh Bachchan tweeted: "Just reading that Tarini Sachdev the girl child artiste in Paa , has perished in Nepal plane crash.

Please God may this not be." Abhishek also posted on the micro blogging site: "SHOCKED and very saddened to hear about the Nepal plane crash.

Lost 1 of my cutest co-stars. Little Taruni Sachdev from Paa.

Speechless." Like the Bachchans, others known to Taruni and her family are yet to come to terms with the tragedy.

R Balki, who directed Paa and also shot many commercials with Taruni, did not have any words to describe his feelings. "I will not be able to talk," he said.

"She was a lovely vibrant child," is how Karishma describes Taruni; Karishma featured in the very popular Rasna ad , which made Taruni a household face. According to those in the film industry, Taruni was not only a good actor but also a very bright student and her mother always made sure that she never neglected her studies.

Line producer of Paa Anita Manchanda said, "Her mother was strict about her studies and would make her sit with her books on the sets, during shoot breaks." Manchanda fondly remembers how during breaks, Taruni would frolic around the sets and her mother would sometimes have to "rein in her make her sit down".

"But at the same time, she was a very diplomatic kid who knew how to handle both the young and the old. There were times when boys on the sets would try to trouble her but she tackled them so well that they ended up liking her.

" (less)

Right from the vintage drama songs Ambili Ammava Thamara Kumbililenthundu , Marivillin Thenmalare to classic songs like Kasturi Manakkunnallo , Kayampoo Kannil Viriyum and from the rivalry between Udaya and Merryland Studios to the suicide of actor Vijayasree. But one may wonder why, with all these nostalgic ingredients, Nayika fails to impress and ends as an average flick! The major setback is the lack of a proper platform to place the characters, be it Sharada's Gracy, Jayaram's Anand, Sidhique's Stephen Muthalali and Mamta Mohandas' Aleena.

The first three characters have resemblance to some prominent figures who ruled the Malayalam industry once but it is slightly twisted. Jayaram lends the gestures and mannerisms of the late Prem Nazir to his character, and since imitating Nazir is his masterpiece as a mimicry artiste, it really came out well.

But with the absence of a strong script, all the characters ended up as bygones and at many points, were left clueless. Scriptwriter Deedi Damodaran, who made a promising debut through Gulmohar , knitted a tale by placing the mystery behind the death of actress Vijayasree in the centre.

The actress, who was known as the Marilyn Monroe of Mollywood, committed suicide following an incident while shooting for the movie Ponnapuram Kotta . While enacting a scene in a waterfall, her dress got removed accidentally and the cameraman continued with the shooting.

Her nude images appeared in the film and it is said that the actress committed suicide following the incident. Though Gracy is in a mentally-challenged state, Aleena succeeds in interacting with her with the help of the actress' personal assistant Rangannan (Jagathy).

Travelling through the memories of Gracy comes Padampriya (depicting the youth of Gracy) and her relationship with actor Anand. Kudos to Jayaraj for casting Padmapriya as the young Gracy.

Her beauty and acting skills helped in portraying the role to perfection and 'young Gracy' ends as the saving 'grace' of the film. Apart from these references to the past, Deedi's script fails to blend all these characters together into the plot.

The director, apart from following the script, has not tried anything extraordinary leaving the spectator indifferent in the end. If director Ranjith's Thirakkatha - a recent Malayalam film that narrated a tale from the 1980s Mollywood - was a serene and haunting experience, Nayika , which could have been made crispier - has failed to reveal its truest possible form at its best.

Tweet (less)

Sarath (less)

The debutante filmmaker had earlier refused the Academy's offer to show the film in the Malayalam Cinema Now section. After the assurance of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the screening of the film is just 'official' as it has not been included in any category in the festival.

Aadimadhyantam had been in controversy after the selection committee's decision to remove the film from the competition section was rejected by the Chalachitra Academy on the ground that the film was submitted in an incomplete format. Tweet (less)