The 26th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 1978. Ceremony took place in April 1979.
Juries
Two different committees were formed for feature films and short films, headed by Chetan Anand and Kironmoy Raha respectively.
Jury Members: Feature Films Chetan Anand (Chairperson)Sanjukta PanigrahiArvind KumarManohar Shyam JoshiHameeduddin Mehmood Vinay Chandra MaudglayaBhisham SahniJamunaVimla PatilSatish AlekarS. L. BhyrappaNaa Parthasarthy Nirad N. MohapatraG. L. BhardwajBasu BhattacharyaK. K. Nair Jury Members: Short Films Kironmoy Raha (Chairperson)Aruna VasudevM. T. Vasudevan Nair
Awards
Awards were divided into feature films and non-feature films.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Name of AwardImageAwardee(s)Awarded AsAwardsDadasaheb Phalke AwardRaichand BoralMusic director and Film directorSwarna Kamal, 40,000 and a Shawl
Feature films
Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 26th National Film Awards, no film was awarded the President's Gold Medal for the All India Best Feature Film. It is the only year for National Film Awards not to give away this award till now. A Hindi film Gaman, a Bengali film Parashuram and a Malayalam film Thampu won the maximum number of awards (three). Following were the awards given in each category:
All India Award
Following were the awards given:
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature Film with Mass Appeal, Wholesome Entertainment and Aesthetic ValueGanadevataBengaliProducer: Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, Government of West BengalSwarna KamalDirector: Tarun MajumdarRajat KamalCitation: For brilliant picturisation of modern literary classic. Like the novel, film succeeds in capturing a whole era in transition. Steering clear of both commercial vulgarisation and pretentiousness, the film uses all the cinematic, to effectively communicate to the masses.Best Feature Film on National IntegrationGrahanaKannadaProducer: M/s. Harsha PicturesRajat Kamal and 30,000Director: T. S. NagabharanaRajat Kamal and 10,000Citation: For an honest and bold depiction of caste conflict in rural India. The film starkly brings out the traditional beliefs which grip the entire rural society including the down-trodden putting an extra chain on the poor in addition to their economic helplessness. Cinematically a very powerful film.Best Children's FilmJoi Baba FelunathBengaliProducer: R. D. BansalSwarna Kamal and 15,000Director: Satyajit RayRajat Kamal and 10,000Citation: For the wit and craftsmanship used to synthesise a child's world of fantasy with an adult story of crime and detection.Best DirectionThampuMalayalamG. AravindanRajat Kamal and 20,000Citation: For creating a truly director's film which effectively brings out the pathos and ennui in the life of village circus artists and their audience.Best ScreenplayGrahanaKannadaT. S. RangaT. S. NagabharanaRajat Kamal and 5,000 EachCitation: For maintaining taunt narrative line without resorting to melodrama and retaining a firm grip on the central idea in an action packed film.Best ActorParasuramBengaliArun MukherjeeRajat Kamal and 10,000Citation: For using mime, body language, laughter and silence to depict the central character in complete harmony with the overall style of the film.Best ActressNimajjanamTeluguSharadaRajat Kamal and 10,000Citation: For a highly restrained performance and a sensitive non-verbal communication.Best Child ArtistGanadevataBengaliKanchan De BiswasRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For being utterly himself.Best Cinematography (Color)JunoonHindiGovind NihalaniRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For eloquent camera work which is equally effective both in romantic passages and battle sequences. The camera faultlessly brings out all the colour hues in various locations and differing light conditions.Best Cinematography (Black and White)ThampuMalayalamShaji N. KarunRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For using the camera as a silent witness to the ironies of life. The reaction shots of circus audience taken unawares are in the best tradition of cinema-verite camera style.Best Sound RecordingJunoonHindiHitendra GhoshRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For clarity, fidelity and precision in recording music, speech and sound effects.Best EditingParasuramBengaliGangadhar NaskarRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For his bravura style of editing which is in complete harmony with the highly stylised treatment of the theme by the director.Best Music DirectionGamanHindiJaidevRajat Kamal and 10,000Citation: For using the traditional light classical and folk music of U.P. to convey the nostalgia of rural migrants lost in a city. Music in Gaman is an integral part of the film.Best Male Playback SingerKaadu KudreKannadaShimoga SubbannaRajat Kamal and 10,000Citation: For rendering the theme song "Kaadu Kudure" in a style which is at once vigorous and lyrical.Best Female Playback SingerGamanHindiChhaya GangulyRajat Kamal and 10,000Citation: For a hauting rendition of Makhdun Mohluddin's famous ghazal "Aap Ki Yaad Aati Rahi Raat Bhar". The chastity of style, the purity of enunciation and the freshness of voice contribute to make it into a memorable song.Special MentionParasuramGamanBengaliHindiMrinal Sen (Director)Muzaffar Ali (Director)Certificate OnlyCitation: For their sensitive treatment of the problem of rural migrants to cities.
Regional Award
The awards were given to the best films made in the regional languages of India. For feature films in Bengali, English, Hindi, Kashmiri, Meitei and Punjabi, award for Best Feature Film was not given.
Name of AwardName of FilmAwardee(s)AwardsBest Feature Film in BengaliDooratwaProducer: Buddhadeb DasguptaRajat Kamal and 10,000Director: Buddhadeb DasguptaRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For a sensitive depiction of a leftist middle class intellectual's marital conflict waiting for a revolution which does not materialise.Best Feature Film in HindiKasturiProducer: Bimal DuttRajat Kamal and 5,000Director: Bimal DuttRajat Kamal and 2,500Citation: For a lyrical depiction of the elemental and eternal conflict between science and superstition.JunoonProducer: Shashi KapoorRajat Kamal and 5,000Director: Shyam BenegalRajat Kamal and 2,500Citation: For overall technical virtuousity and successful evocation of a bygone era.Best Feature Film in KannadaOndanondu KaladalliProducer: L. N. CombinesRajat Kamal and 10,000Director: Girish KarnadRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For delineating the code of warrior's ethics in a medieval setting with a modern vision. The film has excellent outdoor photography, high standard of acting and an eye-catching decor.Best Feature Film in MalayalamThampuProducer: K. Ravindran NairRajat Kamal and 10,000Director: G. AravindanRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For its cinematic virtousity and defiance of all narrative traditions of film making.Best Feature Film in TeluguNimajjanamProducer: M/s Red Rose Art FilmsRajat Kamal and 10,000Director: B. S. NarayanaRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For a simple and restrained depiction of a dramatic theme, involving a woman's violation resulting in suicide.
Non-Feature films
Following were the awards given:
Short films
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Information FilmRumtek - A Monastery Wrethed In A Hundred Thousand RainbowsEnglishProducer: Romesh SharmaRajat Kamal and 5,000Director: Romesh SharmaRajat Kamal and 4,000Citation: For an outstanding film in which all the elements are so perfectly blended to create an evocative and informative picture of the continuity of life at this beautiful monastery.Best Educational / Instructional FilmThe Magic HandsEnglishProducer: M/s Little CinemaRajat Kamal and 5,000Director: Santi P. ChowdhuryRajat Kamal and 4,000Citation: For the controlled style of the filmmaker which lends special eloquence to the images of the faces and the hands as also the graceful bamboo they work with.Best Promotional FilmIt Is Indian It Is GoodHindiProducer: Films DivisionRajat Kamal and 5,000Director: B. D. GargaRajat Kamal and 4,000Citation: For an excellent script and direction supported by smooth editing and camera work with music that is judiciously selected and sparingly used. The film provides an imaginative survey of the magnitude, variety and quality of India's export production.Best Newsreel CameramanDawn Over Gurais (Indian News Review No. 1568)EnglishC. L. KaulRajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For the lyrical realism of the camera with its perfectly matched tone and texture.Best News ReviewUttar Pradesh Samachar 24HindiDirector of Information and Public Relations, U.P.Rajat Kamal and 5,000Citation: For its genuine effort to make disturbing human document out of the chaos of a frequent natural calamity.Special MentionThe Burning StoneEnglishDirector: Loksen Lavnani Films DivisionCertificate onlyCitation: For the sincerity and commitment of the filmmaker in this stark and uncompromising film in which the raw truth is portrayed with no attempt to make it palatable.
Awards not given
Following were the awards not given as no film was found to be suitable for the award:
Best Feature Film Second Best Feature Film Best Story Best Film on Family Welfare Best Lyrics Best Film on Social Documentation Best Experimental Film Best Animation Film President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Assamese President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in English President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Manipuri President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Marathi President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Oriya President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Punjabi President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Tamil
References
External links National Film Awards Archives Official Page for Directorate of Film Festivals, India