70th National Film Awards: Celebrating Excellence in Indian Cinema

The 70th National Film Awards have spotlighted some of India’s finest cinematic talent. The Malayalam drama Aattam triumphed as Best Feature Film, while Rishabh Shetty earned the Best Actor title. The Best Actress accolade was shared by two outstanding performers, Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh. Announced at the National Media Center in New Delhi, the winners represent the very best in Indian film across various languages, all certified by the CBFC in 2022. Notably, Ponniyin Selvan: 1 took home the most honors with four awards. The official ceremony, where the President will honor these brilliant achievements, is set to take place soon, with this year’s jury led by Rahul Rawail for Feature Films, Nila Madhab Panda for Non-Feature Films, and Gangadhar Mudalair for Best Writing on Cinema.

Here is the list of winners from the 70th National Film Awards in the feature film categories:

• Best Feature Film: Aattam
• Best Actor: Rishabh Shetty for Kantara
• Best Actress: Nithya Menen for Tiruchitrabalam and Manasi Parekh for Kutch Express
• Best Director: Sooraj Barjatya for Uunchai
• Best Supporting Actress: Neena Gupta for Uunchai
• Best Supporting Actor: Pawan Malhotra for Fouja
• Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Kantara
• Best Debut: Pramod Kumar for Fouja
• Best Telugu Film: Karthikeya 2
• Best Tamil Film: Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1
• Best Punjabi Film: Baaghi Di Dhee
• Best Odia Film: Daman
• Best Malayalam Film: Saudi Velakka, CC.225/2009
• Best Marathi Film: Vaalvi
• Best Kannada Film: KGF: Chapter 2
• Best Hindi Film: Gulmohar
• Best Tiwa Film: Sikaisal
• Best Bengali Film: Kaberi Antardhan
• Best Assamese Film: Emuthi Puthi
• Special Mentions: Manoj Bajpayee for Gulmohar and Sanjoy Salil Chowdhury for Kadhikan
• Best Action Direction: KGF: Chapter 2
• Best Choreography: Tiruchitrabalam
• Best Lyrics: Fouja
• Best Music Director: Pritam (Songs) and AR Rahman (Background Score)
• Best Makeup: Aparajito
• Best Costumes: Kutch Express
• Best Production Design: Aparajito
• Best Editing: Aattam
• Best Sound Design: Ponniyin Selvan, Part 1
• Best Screenplay: Aattam
• Best Dialogues: Gulmohar
• Best Cinematography: Ponniyin Selvan, Part 1
• Best Female Playback: Bombay Jayashri for Saudi Velakka CC.225/2009
• Best Male Playback: Arijit Singh for Brahmastra
• Best Child Artist: Sreepath for Mallikappuram
• Best Film in AVGC (Animation, VFX, Gaming, and Comics): Brahmastra
• Best Non-Feature Film Promoting Social and Environmental Values: Kutch Express

This list celebrates the incredible achievements in Indian cinema, reflecting a range of talents across various regional film industries​

Here is a list of winners from the Film Writing and Non-Feature categories at the 70th National Film Awards:

Film Writing:

• Best Critic: Deepak Dua
• Best Book on Cinema: Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography

Non-Feature Categories:

• Best Non-Feature Film: Ayena
• Best Debut Film: Madhyantara
• Best Biographical/Historical/Compilation Film: Aanakhi Ek Mohenjo Daro
• Best Arts/Culture Film: Ranga Vibhoga/Varsa
• Best Script: Mono No Aware
• Best Narrator: Murmurs of the Jungle
• Best Music Direction: Fursat
• Best Editing: Madhyantara
• Best Sound Design: Yaan
• Best Cinematography: Mono No Aware
• Best Direction: From the Shadow
• Best Short Film: Xunyota
• Best Animated Film: The Coconut Tree
• Best Non-Feature Film Promoting Social and Environmental Values: On the Brink Season 2 – Gharial
• Best Documentary: Murmurs of the Jungle

These awards showcase the creative brilliance in Indian cinema beyond just feature films, honoring documentaries, short films, and other forms of storytelling

After a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 69th National Film Awards in 2023 celebrated the finest Indian films of 2021. Rocketry claimed the prestigious Best Feature Film title, while Allu Arjun was honored as Best Actor. Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon shared the Best Actress award. At the 68th edition, the Tamil film Soorarai Pottru took home the top prize, and the late Sachy won Best Director for Ayyappanum Koshiyum. Ajay Devgn and Suriya shared the Best Actor accolade, while Aparna Balamurali was recognized as Best Actress. Since its establishment in 1954, the National Film Awards have been the pinnacle of Indian cinematic recognition. The first-ever Best Feature Film was awarded to the Marathi film Shyamchi Aai. With eight awards in 2002, Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan remains the most celebrated film in the history of the awards. In addition to honoring films nationwide, the event also showcases the best regional films and bestows the esteemed Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement, with last year’s recipient being the legendary Waheeda Rehman.