Bangalore : Chief  Minister Jagadish Shettar on Thursday announced State film awards for the year 2011 and, ‘Prasad’, directed by Manoj Sati for AKK Entertainers, has bagged the award for the first best film.

Arjun Sarja, who has played the lead role in the movie, won the best actor award while Master Sankalp has been adjudged the best child artiste (male) for the same movie.

The movie is centred around a physically challenged boy who overcomes all odds to prove his talent in swimming.

The jury headed by Sunil Kumar Desai has selected Bhavana for the best actor (female) award for her performance in ‘Bhagirathi’ directed by Baragur Ramachandrappa, while Girish Kasaravalli’s ‘Koormavatara’ has been declared the second best film.

‘Allide Nammane, Illi Bande Summane,’ directed by Gopi Peenya has won the third best film award. First best film award carries a purse of Rs one lakh and a 50-gram gold medal for both the producer and the director.

The government has selected veteran director D Rajendra Babu for the Puttanna Kanagal award given for lifetime achievement and contribution to Kannada film industry. Music director Hamsalekha and veteran actor Ananth Nag will get the  Dr Raj Kumar and Dr Vishnuvardhan awards, respectively, for the year 2011.

‘Sidlingu’ directed by Vijaya Prasad, which gave a tough fight to the top three films, got the award for the best debut by a director.

‘Sarathi’, starring Darshan, has been judged the best entertaining movie of the year.
“We have ensured honesty and transparency in the selection process, wherein as many as 48 movies were shortlisted for the final round,” Desai said.

After announcing the awards, the chief minister said: “We have almost finalised the location to establish “Amrutha Mahotsava Bhavana” to mark the completion of 75 glorious years of Kannada film industry. Efforts are on in full swing to establish Karnataka Film Academy.”

* Film with special social concern: ‘Sarasammana Samadhi’ by K N T Shastri

* Best supporting actor: Sridhar for ‘Kamsale Kysale’

*  Best supporting actress: Girija Lokesh for ‘Sidlingu’

*  Best script: Ravindra H P Das for ‘Matte Banni
Preetsona’

* Best dialogues: Gopi Peenya for ‘Allide Nammane Illi Bande  Summane’

* Best camera work: G S Bhaskar for ‘Koormavatara’

* Best music director: Anoop Seelin for ‘Sidlingu’

*Best Editing: B S Kemparaju for ‘Allide Nammane Illi
Bande Summane’

* Best art director: Eshwari
Kumar for ‘Sarathi’

* Best lyrics: Dr Baraguru Ramachandrappa for ‘Bhagirathi’

* Best male playback: Aditya Rao for ‘Ballpen’

* Best female playback: Archana Udupa for
‘Bhagirathi’-DH News