Nair said: "The brilliant thing is that there's room for all of us - for our four-hour Bollywood extravaganzas and for my independent work - because we come from a place whose heart is as big as the ocean.

"And to those who worry about us filmmakers becoming more international than Indian, I say this - it is because my roots are so strong that I can fly."

Kamal Dandona, chairperson of the Bollywood Group, said: "In terms of promoting and promulgating India and Indian culture globally through cinema, Mira stands in a league of her own."

A Harvard university graduate, Nair made her debut feature "Salaam Bombay" in 1988. She followed it up with "Mississippi Masala", "The Perez Family", "Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love", "My Own Country", "The Laughing Club of India", "Hysterical Blindness", "Vanity Fair", "Monsoon Wedding" and "The Namesake".

The celebrities slated to perform at this year's awards show include Bipasha Basu, Arjun Rampal, Vivek Oberoi, Urmila Matondkar, Soha Ali Khan, Neha Dhupia, Kangana Ranaut and Mona Singh.