National Film Awards

National Film Awards
Current: 72nd National Film Awards
Awarded forExcellence in cinematic achievements for Indian cinema
CountryIndia
Presented by
First award10 October 1954 (1954-10-10)
Websitenfaindia.org

The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for excellence within the Indian film industry. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals from 1974 (21st edition) until 2022 (68th edition), and by the NFDC since then.[1][2][3]

Every year, a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry, and the award ceremony is held in New Delhi, where the President of India presents the awards. This is followed by the inauguration of the National Film Festival, where award-winning films are screened for the public. Declared for films produced in the previous year across the country, they hold the distinction of awarding merit to the best of Indian cinema overall, as well as presenting awards for the best films in each region and language of the country.[4]

History

The Awards were first presented in 1954. The Government of India conceived the ceremony to honor films made across India, on a national scale, to encourage the furthering of Indian art and culture. From 1974 until 2022, the Indian Directorate of Film Festivals administers the ceremony along with other major film events in India annually.[5] Since then, National Film Development Corporation of India administers the ceremony.

Juries and rules

The National Film Awards are presented in two main categories: Feature Films and Non-Feature Films.[1] The juries are appointed by the NFDC. Neither the Government nor the organization has influence over which films are selected for consideration and which films ultimately win awards. There are strict criteria as to whether a film is eligible for consideration by the jury panels. Over 100 films made across the country are entered in each category (Feature and Non-Feature) for the awards and are deemed eligible each year.[6]

A list of rules is presented every year in a document of regulations known as the National Film Award Regulations.[7] The criteria for eligibility contain many clauses. Among them, there is a direct requirement for the makers of a film, and particularly the director, to be Indian nationals.[8] Films entering the competition should be produced in India, and in the case of co-production involving a foreign entity, there are as many as six conditions that should be fulfilled in order for the film to qualify.[8] According to the criteria, in order to be eligible for consideration by the jury, a film should be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between 1 January and 31 December. Whether a film is considered a feature film or a non-feature film shall be decided by the Feature Film jury. The eligibility list includes a section of rules determining which films shall not be eligible for entry in the competition.[8]

Controversy

Allegations of political bias

The National Film Awards have faced regular criticism from film critics, opposition politicians, and regional governments for allegedly favoring films aligned with state-sponsored narratives.

  • The Kerala Story – At the 71st National Film Awards, awarding Best Direction and Best Cinematography to The Kerala Story sparked severe political pushback. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and opposition leaders from the Indian National Congress accused the jury of promoting propaganda and misinformation. Jury Chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker defended the choices, stating the awards were based strictly on technical and directorial merit.
  • The Kashmir Files – At the 69th National Film Awards, The Kashmir Files won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. This choice drew heavy criticism from opposition parties and film commentators who argued the movie was highly polarizing.
  • 72nd National Awards – The selection of Article 370, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, and Amaran for top Swarna Kamal honors led to public accusations that the jury prioritized political messaging over cinematic quality.

Industry snubs and commercial favoritism

Critics frequently allege that the jury favors mainstream commercial cinema over highly acclaimed independent or artistic films.

  • 72nd National Film Awards Snubs – Public backlash occurred after actor-director Dhanush won awards for commercial titles Raayan and Captain Miller. Critics argued smaller, acclaimed Tamil films like Meiyazhagan and Maharaja were unfairly ignored. Dhanush later publicly admitted that while better films existed that year, previous juries had similarly snubbed his best artistic work.
  • Exclusion of Arthouse Cinema – The complete exclusion of Payal Kapadia's Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine as Light and Prithviraj Sukumaran's survival drama The Goat Life from major categories fueled further allegations of structural bias against independent filmmakers.

Presentation and category changes

Changes to traditional presentation protocols and award categories have also caused friction within the film industry.

  • 65th Awards Boycott (2018) – Nearly 50 award winners boycotted the presentation ceremony. The protest occurred after a last-minute protocol change where the President of India presented only 11 major awards, delegating the remaining presentations to union ministers.
  • Renaming of Awards (2024) – Ahead of the 70th National Film Awards, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting dropped prominent figures' names from categories. The "Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film" and the "Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration" were retitled to remove political and historical names, drawing criticism over the erosion of award history.


Awards ceremonies

The "Year" in the below table corresponds to the year of the film certificate issued by the CBFC. The "Date" indicates when the awards were presented to the winners.

Current categories

The awards are categorized into three sections; Feature film, Non-feature film, and Best Writing on cinema. With each section having its individual aims, Feature Film and Non-Feature Film sections aim at encouraging the production of films of aesthetic and technical excellence and social relevance, contributing to the understanding and appreciation of cultures of different regions of the country in cinematic form, thereby promoting unity and integrity of the nation.[1] The Best Writing on cinema section aims to encourage the study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of the art form through the publication of various books, articles, reviews, newspaper coverage, and studies.[9] In addition, a lifetime achievement award, named after the father of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke, is awarded to a film personality for the outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.[9][10]

All the award winners are awarded a Medallion, a cash prize, and a certificate of merit. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, six categories from the Feature Films section, three from the Non-Feature Films and Best Writing on Cinema sections each have been made eligible for Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus Award), and the rest of the categories for Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus Award).[9][11]

Lifetime Achievement

List of current Lifetime Achievement categories by year introduced
Year introduced Category
Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal)
1969 Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Feature film

List of current Feature film categories by year introduced
Year introduced Category
Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal)
1953 Best Feature Film
1953 Best Children's Film
1967 Best Direction
1974 Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
1980 Best Debut Film of a Director
2022 Best Film in AVGC (Best Animation Film)
Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal)
1954 Best Bengali Feature Film
1954 Best Hindi Feature Film
1954 Best Kannada Feature Film
1954 Best Malayalam Feature Film
1954 Best Marathi Feature Film
1954 Best Tamil Feature Film
1954 Best Telugu Feature Film
1955 Best Assamese Feature Film
1960 Best Gujarati Feature Film
1960 Best Odia Feature Film
1962 Best Punjabi Feature Film
1965 Best Konkani Feature Film
1967 Best Actor in a Leading Role
1967 Best Actress in a Leading Role
1967 Best Music Direction
1967 Best Male Playback Singer
1967 Best Screenplay
1967 Best Cinematography
1968 Best Female Playback Singer
1968 Best Lyrics
1968 Best Child Artist
1972 Best Manipuri Feature Film
1976 Best Sound Design
1976 Best Editing
1978 Special Mention
1979 Best Production Design
1984 Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1984 Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1984 Best Costume Design
1985 Best Bodo Feature Film
1991 Best Choreography[a]
2006 Best Make-up
2016 Best Stunt Choreography
2022 Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values
2022 Best Film in AVGC (Best Visual Effects)

Non-feature film

List of current Non-feature film categories by year introduced
Year introduced Category
Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal)
1953 Best Non-Feature Film
1991 Best Debut Film of a Director[b]
2000 Best Direction
Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal)
1967 Best Animation Film
1978 Special Mention
1985 Best Arts / Cultural Film
1987 Best Short Film
1990 Best Cinematography
1990 Best Editing
1990 Best Sound Design
1993 Best Music Direction
2003 Best Narration / Voice Over
2022 Best Non Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values
2022 Best Biographical / Historical Reconstruction / Compilation Film
2022 Best Documentary
2022 Best Script

Writing on cinema

List of current Writing on cinema categories by year introduced
Year introduced Category
Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal)
1981 Best Book on Cinema
1984 Best Film Critic

Discontinued and intermittent categories

Records

List of films with most awards
Film (Year) No. of awards won
Lagaan (2001) 8
Bajirao Mastani (2015) 7
Godmother (1998) 6
Kannathil Muthamittal (2002) 6
Aadukalam (2010) 6
RRR (2022) 6
Jogwa (2008) 5
Kutty Srank (2009) 5
Soorarai Pottru (2020) 5
Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) 5

Notes

  1. ↑ Although the category was introduced in 39th National Film Awards (1991), there was no winner. The first winner was announced during the 40th National Film Awards (1992).
  2. ↑ The category was remained in the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) section since the introduction, but was moved to Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) section during the 70th National Film Awards (2022).[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Explained: The National Film Awards, their history, significance, and recent trends". 22 July 2022.
  2. ↑ Official site Directorate of Film Festivals
  3. ↑ Film Festival Archived 17 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "69th National Film Awards: Here's the complete winner list". 17 October 2023 – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
  5. ↑ "70th National Film Awards: Heavy criticism from industry for ignoring contributions to sound recording and mixing". Hindustan Times. 25 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "National Awards 2022 Winners" – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
  7. ↑ "72nd National Film Awards Regulations - National Film Awards". www.nationalfilmawards.in. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 55th National Film Awards Regulations. Eligibility. Pages 2–3.
  9. 1 2 3 "59th National Film Awards: Regulations" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 2,4,12,14,22,24,25,30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  10. ↑ "Dadasaheb Phalke Award Past Recipients". Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  11. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (24 August 2023). "'RRR' Wins Big at India's National Film Awards".
  12. ↑ Under Secretary to the Government of India (14 December 2023). "Report on Rationalization of Awards Conferred by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting | Government of India". Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Retrieved 25 August 2024.

Further reading

  • Matthew, K.M. (2006), Manorama Yearbook 2006, Malayala Manorama, India, ISBN 81-89004-07-7
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