Vice President Hamid Ansari conferred the 59th National Film Awards

Vice President of India Hamid Ansari conferred the 59th National Film Awards across various categories upon the winners at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 3 May 2012. Ansari also presented the Dadasaheb Phalke award, highest honour in Indian cinema to Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee.

The best feature film award was shared by Marathi film Deool and Byari language movie Byari.While the best direction award went to Gurvinder Singh for his Punjabi film Anhe Ghorey Da Daan, which also won the best cinematography title. Hindi film I Am was named the best Hindi film of the year. Chillar Party was adjudged the best children's film, and it also received the honour for best original screenplay writer.

Marathi actor Girish Kulkarni claimed the best actor trophy for his role as a good-hearted simpleton in Deool. Bollywood actress Vidya Balan got the best female actor award for her role in Dirty Picture.The best supporting actor and actress awards were given to Appu Kutty for Tamil film Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai and Leishangthem Tonthoingambi Devi for Manipuri film Phijigee Mani, respectively.

Anand Bhate, won the best playback singer (male) title for Balgandharva, and Roopa Ganguly, won the same award in the female category for the Bengali film Abosheyshey. Bollywood lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya received the best lyricist trophy. For the song Agar Zindgi from the movie I Am. Composer Neel Dutt won the best songs award for Bengali rock musical Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbo Na. Mayookh Bhaumik bagged the background score honor for Bengali film Laptop.

RA.One bagged the award for best special effects and the best choreography was given to Bosco-Caeser for Senorita from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. The best costume designer award was shared by Niharika Khan for The Dirty Picture and Neeta Lulla for Marathi film Balgandharva.  The best child artist was received jointly by Partho Gupte for Stanley Ka Dabba and by the gang of 10 kids for Chillar Party.

Vikram Gaekwad won the best make-up artist for his work in The Dirty Picture as well as in Bal Gandharva.All three awards in the best audiography category were picked by Hindi films. The best location sound recordist title went to Beylon Fonseca for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Game was given the honours in the sound designer and re-recordist of the final mixed track categories.

Kumararaja Thiagarajan won the Indira Gandhi Award for best debut film of a director for Aaranyakandam while the award for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment went to Tamil film Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai.Acclaimed filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli picked his 12th National Film Award at the event for Kurmavatara, adjudged the best Kannada film.

Traditionally, the national awards are given out by the President. But in the absence of president the vice president presented the awards.

What is Byari Language?

Byari is the first movie made in the ethnic Byari language. The Byari language is spoken by a small number of people in Dakshin Kannada and Udupi dstrict of Karnatakand Kasargod district of Kerala  which are collectively called Beyaris. The language is the mixture of Malayalam, Tulu and Persian Arabic languages.

Centenary of Indian Cinema

The award was presented on 3 May 2012, and will be presented on the same day every year as the date marked the centenary of the release of first Indian film Raja Harishchandra made by Dada Saheb Falke in 2013.

Raja Harishchandra, which was the first Indian film, was made by Dhundiraj Govind Falke. DD Dabake, PG Sane and Balachandra d Phalke were the leading actors of the movie. The movie was made in 1913, and the year 2013 marks the centenary of the Indian Cinema.