A theatre and film veteran, Paresh Rawal started his tryst with showbiz in 1984. He has essayed serious, villainous and comical roles with a rare ease and finesse. His performance in the 2012 film "OMG - Oh My God!" was widely lauded.
From West Bengal, which has a pool of acting talent, veteran actresses Supriya Devi and Sabitri Chatterjee, both of whom have a vast filmography spread over five long decades, have been named for the coveted title.
Ram Mohan, the doyen of the Indian animation industry, with a career spanning more than 50 years, runs Graphiti Studio at Mumbai. He also runs an animation school there.
Among the awardees this year is also Santosh Sivan, a widely acclaimed filmmaker, whose National Award-winning films include "Halo", "Terrorist", "Malli" and "Navarasa".
There is also Taraporevala, who has penned scripts like "Salaam Bombay!", "Mississippi Masala" and "The Namesake", and has directed "Little Zizou".
