Venkatesh, Maheswari bag Nandi Award

Popular Telugu actor Venkatesh and actress Maheswari have bagged the Andhra Pradesh government's prestigious Nandi Award for best actor and actress for 1999. While Venkatesh won the award for his performance in the box office hit "Kalisundam raa," Maheswari won it for "Neekosam". The award carries a statue, cash prize of Rs 15,000 and a certificate. "Kalisundam raa" was also adjudged the best feature film and won the gold Nandi. Ramgopal Varma won the best director award, K V Reddy gold medal, copper Nandi, Rs 10,000 and a certificate.

Announcing the awards at a news conference in Hyderabad on Friday, Awards Committee chairman D V S Raju said the jury members had viewed 25 feature films before selecting the best feature film.

Earlier, Raju presented the committee's report to State Home and Cinematography Minister T Devender Goud. The best male playback singer award was bagged by Hariharan for the film "Annaiah" and the best female playback singer award went to Chitra for the film "Swayamvaram". Vandemataram Srinivas was adjudged the best music director for "Swayamvaram". The awards would be given away at a function on the State Formation Day, November 1.

Following are the individual awardees:

Bangaru Nandi: Kalisundam Raa
Vendi Nandi: Nee KosaM
Tamra Nandi: Prema Katha

Venkatesh (Best Actor, "kalisundam Raa')
Maheswari (Best Actress, "nee kosam"')
Ram Gopal Varma (Best Director, "Prema Katha')
D Suresh Babu (Best Film/Producer, "kalisundam Raa')
Vandemataram Srinivas (Best Music Director, "Swayamvaram')
Hari Haran (Best Male Playback singer, "annayya')
Chitra (Best Female Playback singer, "swayamvaram')
Dinraj and Uday Shankar (best story writer, "Kalisundam raa")
K Viswanath (best supporting actor, "Kalisundam raa")
Radhika (best supporting actress, "Prema Katha")
Mallikarjuna Rao (best character actor, Gummadi Venkateswara Rao gold medal, "Thammudu")
Nirmalamma (best character actress, "Seetharama Raju")
master Mahendra (best child actor, "Devi")
No one bagged the best child actress award
Venkata Prasad (best cinematographer, "Prema Katha")
Sreenu Vytla (best screen play writer, K S Prakash Rao gold medal, "Neekosam")
L B Sriram (best dialogue writer, "Ramasakkanodu")
Seetharama Sastry (best lyric writer, "Prema Katha")
Sreenivasa Raju (best art director, "Rajakumarudu")
Sreenu Vytla (best first film of a director, "Neekosam")
Madhusudhana Reddy (best audiography, "Samudram")
Shankar (best editing, "Samudram")
M S Narayana (best comedian actor, "Ramasakkanodu")
Srilakshmi (best comedian actress, "Police")
Tanikalla Bharani (best villain, "Samudram")
Lawrence (best choreographer, "Annaiah")
Vaasiraju Prakasam (best film critic award)
Kanal Kannan (best fight master, "Annaiah")
Special jury awards: Venu ("Swayamvaram"),
Sri Hari (Police/ "Ramasakkanodu")
Dr Akkineni Nageswara Rao award for best Telugu feature film for home viewing: "Rajakumarudu,"
Feature film on national integration: "Bharatha Ratna"

Documentary films:
First best film "Surabhi"
second best film "Amma Kani O Amma"

Children's films:
First best film, "Pathanamlo Pasi Vaadu".
No movie bagged the second best children film award.