- Shamser Khalid
69th National Film Awards 2023: Full Winners List
The 69th National Film Awards were recently announced in New Delhi, celebrating outstanding films from 2021. Organized by the Government of India’s Directorate of Film Festivals under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, this event recognized notable achievements in cinema. The jury chairs for various categories included filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Vasanth S Sai, along with poet and journalist Yatindra Mishra.
Among the winners, the film "Rocketry: The Nambi Effect" secured the award for the best feature film. Actresses Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon jointly received the best actress prize for their exceptional performances in "Gangubai Kathiawadi" and "Mimi," respectively. Allu Arjun, a prominent Telugu superstar, was named best actor for his role in the Telugu film "Pushpa: The Rise (Part I)."
The announcement of the National Awards for 2021 was made by filmmaker Ketan Mehta, who led the 11-member jury responsible for evaluating and selecting the winners.
Nikhil Mahajan was honored with the National Film Award for best director for his work on the Marathi film "Godavari."
Other notable winners include Pankaj Tripathi, who earned the title of best supporting actor for "Mimi," and Pallavi Joshi, awarded best supporting actress for "The Kashmir Files." The latter film, directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, received the Nargis Dutt award for best film on national integration.
The awards consists of a range of categories, highlighting various aspects of filmmaking excellence. The Telugu version of the multilingual film "RRR" was recognized as the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment, and "Pushpa: The Rise (Part I)" and "RRR" received recognition for their music direction.
Beyond mainstream categories, awards were also presented for films in regional languages. Notably, Kangana Ranaut's film "Thalaivii" did not receive recognition, prompting the actress to share her perspective on the subjective nature of art and awards.
As Gangubai Kathiawadi won five awards, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali commented.
“I’m happy for everybody who has won, my film and other films, and everybody, who has won. Good cinema gets acknowledged and a pat on the back from the government, and nationally and from a respectful jury, it always brings you joy. As far as cinema is celebrated from all over India, it is a wonderful moment for all of us. I’m too happy,"
The National Film Awards serve as a platform to honor exceptional work in Indian cinema, bringing together artists from diverse linguistic backgrounds and celebrating their contributions to the industry. While some films and individuals were honored for their achievements, the event also underlines the fact that artistic appreciation can vary, as seen in the case of "Thalaivii."
