Priyadarshan who will chair the jury of the 64th National Film Awards admits that he's definitely excited and happy. “It's a big responsibility and I will do my best,“ the 60-year-old director said, adding that he is confident of doing the job with ease as he has been around in the industry for 35 years, and has directed 91 films in various languages.

The director himself has an impressive list of National Film Awards in his kitty. In 2007, Kanchivaram was adjudged Best Feature Film. Earlier, his 1996 Malayalam film, Kaalapani which told the story of freedom fighters in the Andaman Jail, bagged three National Awards, including awards for Best Art Direction (Sabu Cyril), Best Special Effects (ST Venky) and Best Cinematography (Santosh Sivan).