The winners of the prestigious 69th National Film Awards 2023 were revealed in New Delhi on Thursday, July 22, 2022. The award ceremony to honor the winners will take place at a later date when the President will confer the honors. The 69th National Film Awards recognize the best Indian films across languages released in the calendar year 2021.
Only films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1st to December 31 2021 were eligible for consideration this year. The announcement marks the celebration of creative excellence in Indian cinema. The final awards ceremony, where the President presents trophies to the winners, is an eagerly anticipated event on the film industry’s calendar every year.
Over 800 entries were received from Indian movies released last year. Expert juries evaluated these films and selected winners based on parameters of creative and technical excellence like direction, acting, cinematography, screenplay, music, etc.
Key Highlights of Winners at 69th National Film Awards 2023
Here are some of the key highlights of the winners announced:
- Actor R Madhavan’s Rocketry: The Nambi Effect won Best Feature Film
- Nikhil Mahajan was awarded Best Director for Godavari
- RRR bagged Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
- The Kashmir Files based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits received Best Film on National Integration
- Allu Arjun won Best Actor awards for the Telugu film Pushpa
- Kriti Sanon and Alia Bhatt won Best Actress awards for Mimi and Gangubai Kathiawadi respectively
- Pankaj Tripathi and Pallavi Joshi won Best Supporting Actor/Actress awards for Mimi and The Kashmir Files correspondingly
Complete Category- Winners at the 69th National Film Awards 2023
Here is the list of winners across major categories:
Best Feature Film: Rocketry
Best Director: Nikhil Mahajan for Godavari
Best Debut Film of a Director: Vishnu Mohan for Malayalam film Meppadiyan
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: RRR
Best Actor: Allu Arjun for Pushpa
Best Actress: Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kriti Sanon for Mimi
Best Supporting Actor: Pankaj Tripathi for Mimi
Best Supporting Actress: Pallavi Joshi for The Kashmir Files
Best Child Artist: Bhavin Rabari for Gujarati film Chhello Show
Best Film on Environment Conservation: Malayalam movie Avasavyuham
Best Film on Social Issues: Hindi film Anunaad – The Resonance
Best Children’s Film: Kannada movie Gandhi & Co.
Best Music Direction: Devi Sri Prasad for songs from the Telugu film Pushpa
Best Male Playback Singer: Kaala Bhairava for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR
Best Cinematography: Avik Mukhopadhayay for Sardar Udham
Significance of 69th National Film Awards 2023 for Indian Cinema
The National Film Awards hold a special place by honoring excellence in Indian cinema annually. Some prominent aspects that make these awards prestigious are:
- They recognize high creative benchmarks set by Indian films across languages and regions
- The evaluation is done through seasoned juries comprising industry experts
- Awards given by the President further add to the prestige of winners
- Provides incentive to artists/filmmakers to strive for global recognition
- Underscores India’s rich cinematic heritage and diversity
The National Film Awards ceremony has been delayed for the past two years owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 68th National Film Awards held in 2022 awarded prizes to the best Indian films from 2020. The Tamil movie Soorarai Pottru bagged the prestigious Best Feature Film award that year, while the late director Sachy was honored with Best Director for Ayyappanum Koshiyum. Ajay Devgn and Suriya shared the Best Actor prize and Aparna Balamurali won Best Actress. Prior to that, the 67th National Film Awards held in 2021 recognized the finest Indian films from 2019. The historical epic Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea claimed the top prize for that year. The pandemic-induced delays have created a backlog, but the honors continue to celebrate exemplary cinematic achievements annually.
The 69th National Film Awards 2023 showcases the diversity of India’s vibrant film industry. They celebrate the finest films and talent pushing creative boundaries. As Indian cinema continues maturing into a force to reckon globally, recognitions like the 69th National Film Awards 2023 motivate the industry to aim higher.