The 71st National Film Awards were recently announced in New Delhi, celebrating the best of Indian cinema from 2023, with “12th Fail” taking home the top honor for Best Feature Film.
Major Wins Steal the Spotlight
The highly anticipated awards saw significant recognition for popular films and actors. “12th Fail,” a critically acclaimed drama, was crowned the Best Feature Film, cementing its place as a standout of the year.
In the acting categories, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan received the Best Actor award for his performance in “Jawan,” sharing the honor with Vikrant Massey, who was recognized for his powerful role in “12th Fail.” Rani Mukerji was lauded as Best Actress for her impactful portrayal in “Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.”
Sudipto Sen earned the Best Director award for “The Kerala Story,” a film that sparked considerable discussion. “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani” was celebrated as the Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, showcasing its widespread appeal.
Supporting Talent and Notable Mentions
The awards also recognized strong performances in supporting roles. Urvashi for “Ullozhukku” and Janaki Bodiwala for “Vash” shared the Best Supporting Actress award. Vijayaraghavan for “Pookkaalam” and Mutthupettai Somu Bhaskar for “Parking” were jointly named Best Supporting Actors.
“Sam Bahadur” received accolades for promoting national and social values, along with its excellence in Make-Up and Costume Design. Other films like “Hanuman” and “Animal” also found their place among the winners.
Technical and Musical Excellence
Beyond acting and direction, the National Film Awards highlight technical brilliance. Prasantanu Mohapatra was honored for Best Cinematography for “The Kerala Story.” The Best Screenplay award went to Sai Rajesh Neelam for “Baby” and Ramkumar Balakrishna for “Parking.”
Music categories saw “Vaathi” winning Best Music Direction for Songs, while Harshavardhan Rameshwar received the award for Best Music Direction for Background Scores for “Animal.” Shilpa Rao won Best Female Playback Singer for “Chaliya,” and PVM Sroht was named Best Male Playback Singer for “Premisthunna.”
Celebrating Regional Cinema
The National Film Awards proudly acknowledge the linguistic diversity of Indian cinema. Many regional films received top honors in their respective languages, including:
- Best Hindi Film: “Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery”
- Best Malayalam Film: “Ullozhukku”
- Best Tamil Film: “Parking”
- Best Telugu Film: “Bhagavanth Kesari”
- Best Marathi Film: “Shyamchi Aai”
- Best Gujarati Film: “Vash”
- Best Punjabi Film: “Godday Godday Chaa”
Non-Feature Films and Special Recognitions
The awards also extended to the non-feature film categories, recognizing documentaries and short films. “Flowering Man” won Best Non-Feature Film, and “The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw” was noted as the Best Debut Film of a Director.
Veteran film critic Utpal Datta was honored with the Best Film Critic award, acknowledging his significant contributions to cinema discourse.
- “12th Fail” won Best Feature Film.
- Shah Rukh Khan (“Jawan”) and Vikrant Massey (“12th Fail”) shared Best Actor.
- Rani Mukerji (“Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway”) won Best Actress.
- Sudipto Sen (“The Kerala Story”) received Best Director.
- Awards were given for films certified between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023.
Established in 1954, the National Film Awards continue to be a prestigious platform, celebrating the rich tapestry of Indian cinematic talent across various languages and genres, leading up to the esteemed Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
