NEW DELHI, May 4 (Xinhua) -- A controversy was triggered during the 65th National Film Awards ceremony, following which over 50 awardees skipped the function after being told Indian President Ram Nath Kovind would give away only 11 awards, officials said Friday.

The ceremony was held Thursday evening at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

The awardees showed their anger by leaving the venue after learning that instead of from the president, they would get the awards from Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and her junior Rajyavardhan Rathore.

Insiders say that was somewhat a break from tradition as all awards were given away by the president.

The absence of awardees was conspicuous from the empty chairs at the venue.

Local media quoted communication from the president's office said it was known that the president attends all award functions for not more than an hour.

"This has been the protocol since he took office. It was conveyed to information and broadcasting ministry several weeks ago and the ministry knew this all along," Ashok Malik, press secretary to the president was quoted as having said.

The 11 chosen for the president's segment included actors Vinod Khanna and Sridevi, who have been honored posthumously, and Oscar winning composer A. R. Rahman.

"We have been discriminated against," Praveen Morchhale, a filmmaker who did not accept the award told media, "They have divided us into classes."

A total of 137 people were supposed to receive the awards for their role and performance in Indian cinema.

However, many winners showed up despite their protest and received their award from the ministers.

Indian cinema is popular with around 1,600 films produced annually in various languages.