RDB loses BAFTA to Pan's Labyrinth

New Delhi: Out of the Oscar race, Rang De Basanti also lost it’s ticket to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards(BAFTA) in the best foreign language film category.

Guillermo del Toro's fantastical saga Pan's Labyrinth beat Rang De Basanti to the BAFTA award in the ceremony held in London on Sunday night.

The Rang De Basanti team, including actor Aamir Khan, director Rakeysh Mehra and UTV's Ronnie Screwwala were in London for the big night on Sunday.

The film was among the five entries in the non-English language film category and shared the honour with Mel Gibson's Apocalypto and Pedro Almodovar's Volver among others.

While Dame Helen Mirren was crowned best actress for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, which also was named the year's best picture, Forest Whitaker took the best actor prize for his riveting turn as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.

Last King was named best British film and also took the prize for best adapted screenplay.

Whitaker beat Daniel Craig (Casino Royale), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed), Richard Griffiths (The History Boys) and Peter O'Toole (Venus) to the best-actor prize.

No film dominated the awards, which are considered an important indicator of success at the Oscars in two weeks' time.

Paul Greengrass was named best director for United 93, a docudrama-style reenactment of one of the flights hijacked on September 11, 2001.

Former American idol contestant Jennifer Hudson was named best supporting actress for the musical Dreamgirls, while Alan Arkin won the best supporting actor trophy for Little Miss Sunshine.

Michael Arndt won the best original screenplay prize for Little Miss Sunshine.

The James Bond thriller Casino Royale went home with just one prize for sound, despite nominations in nine categories.

The film's Bond girl, Eva Green, was named rising star of the year, an award decided by public vote.

The ceremony, officially the Orange British Academy Film Awards but popularly known as BAFTAs, has become an essential pre-Oscars stop since it was moved in 2000 from April to a February date to precede the Academy Awards in Hollywood.

(With inputs from AP)