69th National Film Awards 2023:  A look at its History & Winners

The National Film Awards trace its inception to 1954 and have been among the most distinguished and much anticipated award events of the country ever since. The prestigious awards were established by the Government of India to encourage advancement of Indian art and culture via celluloid in the country. The winning submission is chosen annually by a national panel that the government appoints, and the accolades are presented at a ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi by the President of the Republic Of India.  The National Film Festival, which opens with public screenings of awaed-winning films, follows subsequently. 

Awarded to the greatest films released in the preceding year all across the nation, they are renowned for recognizing excellence in Indian cinema. The three main categories of the awards are Best Writing on Cinema, Non-Feature Films, and Feature Films. The goals of the Feature Film and Non-Feature Film sections, each with its own distinct purpose, are to support the creation of films that are socially relevant, of high artistic and technical caliber, and that advance national unity and integrity by fostering an appreciation of the diverse cinematic cultures of the country. Through the publication of several books, essays, reviews, media coverage, and research, the best writing on cinema area seeks to promote the study and understanding of cinema as an art form as well as the sharing of knowledge and critical appreciation of the medium. A ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ is also given to the celebrity in honour of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema, for their exceptional contribution to the industry’s art and advancement. Each winner receives a certificate of merit, a cash prize and a medal. The Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal) along with The Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal) is now open for six categories from the Feature Films, two from the Non-Feature Films section and Best Writing on Cinema.

On October 17, the 69th National Film Awards took place in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan. The event was a grand celebration of noteworthy accomplishments in Indian cinema with the who’s who of celebrities in attendance. The President of the Republic of India, Smt. Draupadi Murmu, presented the recipients with their awards in the esteemed ceremony during the course of event. The best actress Award was bagged by Alia Bhatt, for her role in the movie “Gangubai Kathiawadi,” and Kriti Sanon for her role in the movie “Mimi”.  Allu Arjun, won the Best Actor for his role in “Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1.” The blockbuster movie “RRR” won the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment to S.S. Rajamouli. The movie’s music composer, MM Keeravani, was also honoured with a National Award. The Best Feature Film award went to actor R Madhavan for his directorial piece of “Rocketry: The Nambi Effect”. For his stellar performance in the movie “Mimi”, Pankaj Tripathi was conferred with the Best Supporting Actor award. ‘Shershaah,’ starring Siddharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, won the Special Jury Award. The “Shershaah” director Vishnu Vardhan and producer Karan Johar accepted the award together. The Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred upon veteran actress Waheeda Rehman in recognition of her exceptional contribution to Indian cinema. She has several prestigious accolades to her credit for the path-breaking career as an artist. From the Padma Shri in 1972 to Padma Bhushan in 2011, her outstanding contribution to the cinema is a legacy to be followed by generations to come. In 1971, she received the National Award for Best Actress for her role in Reshma Aur Shera. The actress also clinched Filmfare Awards in the Best Actress category in 1966 for Guide and 1968 for Neel Kamal. The president presented her with a parchment, a certificate and a meddalion for her distinguished service as part of the award.