The 44th 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 1996. The awards were announced on 6 May 1997, and presented in July.
Awards
Awards were divided into feature films, non-feature films and books written on Indian cinema.
Lifetime Achievement Award Introduced in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest award given to recognise the contributions of film personalities towards the development of Indian cinema and for distinguished contributions to the medium, its growth and promotion.
Name of AwardImageAwardee(s)Awarded AsAwardsDadasaheb Phalke AwardSivaji GanesanActorSwarna Kamal, and a Shawl
Feature films
Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 44th National Film Awards, a Bengali film, Lal Darja won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, whereas a Tamil film, Minsara Kanavu won the maximum number of awards (4). Following were the awards given in each category:
Juries
A committee headed by T. Subbarami Reddy was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. Following were the jury members:
Jury Members T. Subbarami Reddy (Chairperson)Basu ChatterjeeCharuhasanMadhuMike PandeyNirad N. MohapatraVijaya Mulay Raghav MenonSushma ShiromaniJwngdao BodosaM. S. SathyuG. VenkateswaranD. RamanaiduSwaraj LambaSwapan Kumar Ghosh
All India Award
Following were the awards given:
Golden Lotus Award
Official Name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature FilmLal DarjaBengaliProducer: Chitrani Lahiridirector: Buddhadeb Dasgupta 50,000/- EachCitation: For its poetic presentation and exploration of complexities of human relationship in a contemporary urban milieu.Best Debut Film of a DirectorRag BiragAssameseProducer: Bhabhen Baruah and Khanin BaruahDirector: Bidyut Chakraborty 25,000/- EachCitation: For director's sensitivity in portraying complex human psyche of individual character's in the film.Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentMaachisHindiProducer: R. V. PanditDirector: Gulzar 40,000/- EachCitation: For powerful depiction of Punjab situation, exploring the trauma, conflict and tragedy of the youth in Punjab.Best Children's FilmDamuBengaliProducer: Art FilmsDirector: Raja Sen 30,000/- EachCitation: For charming story of a simpleton who keeps his word given to a child.Best DirectionKadhal KottaiTamilAgathiyan 50,000/-Citation: For a brilliantly knit plot, maintaining the tempo and rhythms of an unusual love story till end.
Silver Lotus Award
Official Name: Rajat Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature Film on National IntegrationKanakkinavuMalayalamProducer: P. V. GangadharanDirector: Sibi Malayil 30,000/- EachCitation: For its brilliant and bold approach to National Integration and the futility of division in the name of religion.Best Film on Family WelfareLatthiBengaliProducer: Robin AgarwalDirector: Prabhat Roy 30,000/- EachCitation: For focusing on the plight of the seniors in the society and how a determined group of pensioners transform the power relations in a family, in a wholesome manner.Best Film on Other Social IssuesTamannaHindiProducer: Pooja BhattDirector: Mahesh Bhatt 30,000/- EachCitation: For depicting the selfless dedication and love of eunuchs for an abandoned child.Best ActorIndianTamilKamal Haasan 10,000/-Citation: For his double role in the film. His remarkable range in the entire diverse roles shows his excellent calibre as an actor.Best ActressMaachisHindiTabu 10,000/-Citation: For sensitive portrayal of a woman trapped in the vortex of conflicts.Best Supporting ActorAgni SakshiHindiNana Patekar 10,000/-Citation: For his brilliant performance as an obsessed husband.Best Supporting ActressSardari BegumUrduRajeshwari Sachdev 10,000/-Citation: For her role in the film, in which she depicts the aspirations and agony of a lonely teenage girl.Best Child ArtistLittle SoldiersTeluguKavya 5,000/- EachCitation: For her excellent performance.DesadanamMalayalamKumarCitation: For his excellent performance.Best Male Playback SingerMinsara KanavuTamilS. P. Balasubrahmanyam 10,000/-Citation: For his brilliant rendering of the song.Best Female Playback SingerMinsara KanavuTamilK. S. Chithra 10,000/-Citation: For her soulful rendering of the song.Best CinematographyAdajyaRag BiragAssameseCameraman: Mrinal Kanti DasLaboratory Processing: Prasad Film Laboratories 10,000/- EachCitation: For his versatile, imaginative and superb combinations and mood lighting.Best ScreenplayKadhal KottaiTamilAgathiyan 10,000/-Citation: For tightly knit and smooth flowing plot with excellent dialogues and razor-sharp tuning.Best AudiographyDesadanamMalayalamKrishnan Unni 10,000/-Citation: For excellent use and blending of ambient sound with superb effects, appropriate to the spirit depicted in the film.Best EditingRag BiragAssameseA. Sreekar Prasad 10,000/-Citation: For slickly editing with imagination, setting the pace and flow of the story.Best Art DirectionIndianTamilThotta Tharani 10,000/-Citation: For erection of sets and selection of locations perfectly retaining the period depicted in the story and enhancing the huge canvas of the film.Best Costume DesignKulamMalayalamM. Dandapani 10,000/-Citation: For creating beautiful costumes that are authentic to the period depicted in the film.Best Music DirectionMinsara KanavuTamilA. R. Rahman 10,000/-Citation: For innovative compositions breaking all traditions, entering into new era.Best LyricsSaazHindiJaved Akhtar 10,000/-Citation: For its poetic and traditional expression.Best Special EffectsIndianTamilS. T. Venki 10,000/-Citation: For recreation of the period images and also for combining new footage with stock footage.Best ChoreographyMinsara KanavuTamilPrabhu Deva 10,000/-Citation: For sensual body language is par excellence and appropriate to unique choreographic patterns.Special Jury AwardDaayraaHindiAmol Palekar (Director) 12,500/- EachCitation: For the sensitive handling of a challenging theme laying bare the agony and courage of a neglected and marginalised section of our society.Sardari BegumUrduKirron Kher (Actor)Citation: For superb depiction of a dynamic person who breaks shackles of society and achieves excellence in her chosen profession.Special MentionSanghatBengaliDolon Roy (Actress)Certificate OnlyCitation: For her performance in the film.AdajyaAssameseBhagirathee (Actress)Citation: For her performance in Durga's role in the film.
Regional Awards
The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India.
Name of AwardName of FilmAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature Film in AssameseAdajyaProducer: Nayan PrasadDirector: Santwana Bardoloi 20,000/- EachCitation: For a subtle and sensitive exploration of loneliness trauma and coverage of 3 widows caught in the complex web of ritualistic beliefs.Best Feature Film in BengaliSanghatProducer: Pinaki ChaudhuriDirector: Pinaki Chaudhuri 20,000/- EachCitation: For effectively bringing out the trials and tribulations faced by working women in contemporary society.Best Feature Film in HindiGudiaProducer: Amit Khanna and Mahesh BhattDirector: Gautam Ghose 20,000/- EachCitation: For an unusual exploration into the lives of traditional entertainers and the entwined relationships between the animate and inanimate players that develop into an obsession.Best Feature Film in KannadaAmerica! America!!Producer: G. NandakumarDirector: Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar 20,000/- EachCitation: For mature handling of a deftly written script set in USA and India holding up love for one's own country and cultural values.Best Feature Film in MalayalamDesadanamProducer: JayarajDirector: Jayaraj 20,000/- EachCitation: For depicting in an excellent manner the conflicts between love, traditional bonds and duties, arising out of religious beliefs.Best Feature Film in MarathiRao SahebProducer: K. B. Joshi and Ravindra SurveDirector: Sanjay Surkar 20,000/- EachCitation: For depicting the struggle for power of ambitious politicians in a most effective manner.Best Feature Film in OriyaShunya SwaroopaProducer: Alaya Kumar MohantyDirector: Himanshu Sekhar Khatua 20,000/- EachCitation: For a beautifully photographed film depicting the conflicts of a layman floundering in the world of sanyasias.Best Feature Film in TamilKadhal KottaiProducer: D. PandianDirector: Agaththian 20,000/- EachCitation: For a charming love story with unusual twists and turns of fate told in an interesting manner with good production values.Best Feature Film in TeluguNinne PelladuthaProducer: NagarjunaDirector: Krishna Vamsi 20,000/- EachCitation: For the innovative way in which a family drama with the contemporary theme is handled.Best Feature Film in UrduSardari BegumProducer: Amit Khanna and Mahesh BhattDirector: Shyam Benegal 20,000/- EachCitation: For excellent recreation of an era and showing dedication of an artist to music that defies all orthodox and conservative values.
Non-Feature Films
Short Films made in any Indian language and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary/newsreel/fiction are eligible for non-feature film section.
Juries
A committee headed by N. S. Thapa was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. Following were the jury members:
Jury Members N. S. Thapa (Chairperson)Swapna SundariMeera DewanSukumaranPunathil Kunjabdulla
Golden Lotus Award
Official Name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Non-Feature FilmSham's VisionEnglishProducer: Manu GroverDirector: Shaji N. Karun 20,000/- EachCitation: For its moving portrayal of an artist's rich inner vision which lights his outer world of darkness.
Silver Lotus Award
Official Name: Rajat Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.