The 16th Ujala Asianet Film Awards geared up at Dubai drew thousands of Malayalam movie fans at the Meydan Hotel & Grand Stand on January 10, 2014. The awards were presented annually by the Asianet TV to honor the artistic and technical excellence in Malayalam Film industry with over 30 award categories. They were held in Dubai for the second time after a successful show there in 2012.[1][2]
| 16th Asianet Film Awards | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best of cinema in 2013 by people's voting |
| Date | January 10, 2014 |
| Location | Dubai |
| Country |  United Arab Emirates |
| Presented by | Asianet |
| Website | http://filmawards.asianetglobal.com/about.html https://www.youtube.com/user/Asianetindia |
Celebrities who attended the event
The biggest attraction of the ceremony was Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, who was honored with the International Icon of Indian Cinema award. The laurel came to King Khan from a million viewers of Asianet, who had selected him for his onscreen aura and the connect that he shares with countless international fans around the world.[3]
He was accompanied by other big names from Malayalam movie industry. The show saw the attendance of stars including Mohanlal, Mammootty, Dileep, Jayaram, Innocent, Priyamani, Kavya Madhavan and also other generation next actors such as Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Amala Paul, Nazriya Nazim and many more.
Leading Bollywood composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan gave a live performance, featuring his chartbuster tracks. The Tamil singer Andrea Jeremiah also gave a live performance of her hit Tamil and Telugu songs. MJS, the winners of India's Dancing Superstar also gave a performance.
Malayalam actors Kavya Madhavan, Isha Talwar, Vineeth, Asha Sarath, and gen-next sensation Nazriya Nazim also entertained the audience. Malayalam singer Rimi Tomy paid a tribute to A. R. Rahman by singing his hit songs.[4]
Film award winners
| Category | Winner | Film /Films |
|---|---|---|
| Best Actor | Mammootty | Kunjananthante Kada, Immanuel |
| Best Film | Drishyam | |
| Best Director | Lijo Jose Pellissery | Amen |
| Best Actress | Amala Paul | Oru Indian Pranayakatha |
| Most Popular Actor | Prithviraj | Memories |
| Most Popular Actress | Namitha Pramod | Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum |
| Best Character Actor | Nedumudi Venu | North 24 Katham |
| Best Character Actress | Meena | Drishyam |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Vijay Yesudas | Memories |
| Best Female Playback Singer | Mridula Warrier | Kalimannu |
| Best Supporting Actor | Siddique | Drishyam |
| Best Supporting Actress | Asha Sarath | Drishyam |
| Best Actor in a Comic Role | Biju Menon | Romans |
| Best Music Director | Prashanth Pillai | Amen |
| Best Child Artist Male/Female | Master Sanoop | Philips and the monkey pen |
| Best Debut Artiste (male) | Dhyan Sreenivasan | Thira |
| Best Debut Artiste (female) | Keerthy Suresh | Geethanjali |
| Best Star Couple | Nivin Pauly,Nazriya Nazim | Neram |
| Best Actor in a Villain Role | Kalabhavan Shajon | Drishyam |
| Youth Icon | Dulquer Salmaan | ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi |
Special awards
| Category | Winner | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Millennium Actor Award | Mohanlal | |
| Special Jury Mention | Kunchacko Boban | For his contribution in year 2013 namely Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum and Romans (2013 film) |
| Icon of Indian Cinema | Shah Rukh Khan | |
| Best Tamil Actor | Kamal Haasan | |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Innocent | For his overall contribution to Malayalam cinema. |
| Special Jury Mention | Dileep | For completing 20 years in cinema. |
| Special Jury Mention | Prathap Pothan | For his contribution in year 2013 namely Idukki Gold and 3 Dots |