The 68th National Awards were handed out to the winners on Friday, September 30. President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards to all the winners, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2020 to actress Asha Parekh. Actress and producer Jyothika accepted the Best Film Award for Soorarai Pottru. The film’s stars Suriya and Aparrna Balamurali won the best actor male and female awards, repectively.
Suriya shared the Best Actor award with Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. The film also won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, which was accepted by director Om Raut.
68th National Awards Winners Complete List:
Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Best Actor: Suriya for Soorarai Pottru and Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Best Actress: Aparrna Balamurali for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)
Best Child Artist: Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Tak-Tak (Marathi) and Akanksha Pingle and Divyesh Indulkar for Sumi
(Marathi)
Best Direction: Sachidanandan KR for AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
Best Original Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)
Best Dialogue Writing: Mandela (Tamil)
Best Cinematography: Avijatrik
Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli for Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum (Tamil)
Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon for AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
Best Film on Social Issues: Funeral (Marathi)
Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma for AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao (Marathi)
Special Mention in Feature Film category:
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Madonne Ashwin for Mandela (Tamil)
Best Children’s Film: Sumi (Marathi)
Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation: Taledanda (Kannada)
Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior
Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik
Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo
Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum
Best Assamese Film: Bridge
Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazcha Nishchayam
Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi
Best Dimasa Film: Semkhor
Best Tulu Film: Jeetige
Best Marathi Film: Goshta Eka Paithanichi
Best Kannada Film: Dollu
Best Action Direction Award: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum
Best Choreography: Sandhya Raju for Natyam (Telugu)
Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for Saina
Best Music Direction: Thamam S for Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Telugu)
Best Background Music: GV Prakash for Soorarai Pottru
Best Costume Designer: Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Best Makeup Artist: TV Rambabu for Natyam
Best Production Design: Kappela (Malayalam)
Best Editing: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum
(Tamil)
Best Audiography: Dollu (Kannada)
Best Sound Designer: Mi Vasantrao (Marathi)
Best Re-recordist and Final Track: Malik (Malayalam)
Feature Films Special Mentions: Aimee Baruah for Semkhor (Dimasa), director Kavya Prakash for Vaanku (Malayalam), actor Siddharth Menon for June (Marathi), Kishore Kadam for Avwanchhit and Godakaath (Marathi), child artist Varun Buddhadev for Toolsidas Junior.
Non-feature Films Category
Best Film on Family Values: Kumkumarchan (Marathi)
Best Short Fiction Film: Kachichinithu (Karbi)
Special Jury Award: Admitted
Best Investigation Film: The Saviour: Brig Pritam Singh (Pinjabi)
Best Exploration Film: Wheeling the Ball
Best Educational Film: Dreaming of Words (Malayalam)
Best Film on Social Issue — Shared by: Justice Delayed but Delivered and Three Sisters (Bengali)
Best Environmental Film: Manah Aru Manuh (Assamese)
Best Promotional Film: Surmounting Challenges
Best Arts and Cultural Film: Naadada Navaneeta DR PT Venkateshkumar (Kannada)
Best Biographical Film: Pabung Syam (Manipuri)
Best Ethnographic Film: Mandal ke Bol
Best Debut non-feature film of a Director: Pariah (Marathi and Hindi) by Vishesh Iyer
Best Non-Feature Film: Testimony of Ana
Best Science and Technology Film: On the Brink season 2 – Bats
Best Narration: Shobha Tharoor Sreenivasan for Rhapsody of Rains — Monsoons of Kerala
Best Audiography: Ajit Singh Rathore, Pearl of the Desert.
Best Editing: Anadi Athaley, Borderlands
Best Music Direction: Vishal Bhardwaj, 1232 KMS: Marenge Toh Wahi Jaakar
Best on Location Sound Recordist: Sandip Bhati & Pradeep Lekhwar, Jadui Jangal
Best Cinematography: Nikhil S Praveen, Shabdikkunna Kalappa (Malayalam)
Best Direction: RV Ramani, Oh That’s Bhanu
Best Film Critic: No award this year
Most Film-friendly State: Madhya Pradesh
Best Book on Cinema: The Longest Kiss, by Kishwar Desai
Congratulations to all the winners!
