Chennai, Sep 30 (IANs) Tamil Nadu Thursday announced state film awards for 2000, 2001 and 2002 after a gap of three years.

Adjudged the best films of 2000, 2001, and 2002 respectively were "Vaanathai Polae", "Virumbugiren" and "Ramana".

Vijayakanth, president of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association that led an agitation against video piracy, played the lead role in "Ramana".

Murali and Devayani were chosen the best actor and actress respectively for 2000, Surya and Sneha for 2001 and Madhavan and Meena for 2002.

The most memorable and critically acclaimed roles rewarded were that of Chellamma, wife of poet Subramania Bharati, played by Devayani in "Bharati", and that of an engineer-writer essayed by Madhavan in Maniratnam-directed "Kannathil Muthamittal". 
 
Among the cinema veterans honoured were: Anjali Devi, the heroine of many a mythological film, Padmini, once considered the best screen match for Sivaji Ganesan, and Vyjayanthimala, who had made it big in Bollywood too.  

The dates of the award function will be announced later.

The awards follow a bonanza for the Tamil film industry from actress-turned-politician Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha that included tax cuts and promise of stringent steps against video piracy.