The award carried a purse of Rs 1.5 lakh and a memento.

The highly-acclaimed film, which deals with the trauma of a dyslexic child, has been selected from 19 nominations from across the country in various languages including Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Marathi, Telugu and Kannada.

Announcing the award winner at a press conference here yesterday, actor Kamal Hassan said Aamir could've chosen any other subject that would be self-serving for a debutant. "But he chose this subject and went on to steal the show," he said.

The jury,including renowned Telugu film director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao and Foundation managing trustee Gollapudi Maruthi Rao, said the film was 'a poignant human statement by an exceptionally gifted film hero-turned-director'.

The award would be presented on August 12.

Established in 1998, the Foundation envisages to perpetuate the memory of Gollapudi Srinivas, a young director who tragically passed away in an accident during the shoot of his maiden venture in 1992.