New Delhi, March 28 (IANS): Malayalam play "Mathi" won the top honours, including best director, best actor and best original script at the prestigious Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards(META), the organisers said on Saturday.

Ten shortlisted plays were staged in the capital and the name of the winners in various categories was announced at an event on Friday evening.

Kerala-based director Jino Joseph had traced the social and political changes of the state in early 70s and 80s through the perspective of a Muslim youth who sells Saradine, a type of fish, known as 'Mathi' in Malayalam.

With the changed social situation, how big fish started to arrive from markets and started gobbling the smaller ones. And how this change devoid the protagonist of his livelihood and love.

This story fetched Joseph two awards -- best director and best original script. Where as the protagonist of the play, Renji Kankol took home the best actor in lead role award and the best production also went to this play.

The award for best actor in a lead role(female) was shared by Sanjukta Wagh for English play "Rage and Beyond: Irawati's Gandhari" and Swetha Shrinivas for Kannada play "Chitrapata".

Sharing the award for best actor in supporting role were Gopal Dutt and Shubrojyoti Barat for Hindi play "Kaumudi" and Sowmya Jain received the award for best actress in a supporting role for "Chitrapata".

Apart from this, noted Manipuri actor Heisnam Kanhailal was conferred Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Indian theatre.