The 68th National Film Awards ceremony was an event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals presented its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2019 in Indian cinema. The awards ceremony was originally slated to be held on 29 May 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winners were declared on 4 July 2021, and the awards were presented on 30 September 2021.
Selection process The Directorate of Film Festivals invited online entries and the acceptable last date for entries was until 12 March 2021. Feature and Non-Feature Films certified by Central Board of Film Certification between 1 January 2020, and 31 December 2020, were eligible for the film award categories. Books, critical studies, reviews or articles on cinema published in Indian newspapers, magazines, and journals between 1 January 2020, and 31 December 2020, were eligible for the best writing on cinema section. Entries of dubbed, revised or copied versions of a film or translation, abridgements, edited or annotated works and reprints were ineligible for the awards.
For the feature and non-feature Films sections, films in any Indian language, shot on 16 mm, 35 mm, a wider film gauge or a digital format, and released in cinemas, on video or digital formats for home viewing were eligible. Films were required to be certified as a feature film, a featurette or a Documentary/Newsreel/Non-Fiction by the Central Board of Film Certification.
Best Film Friendly State The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through a State Government Policy. Jury Vipul Shah Dharam Gulati Sreelekha MukherjeeGS BhaskarS ThangaduraiSanjeev Rattan A Karthikraaja VN AdityaViji ThampiThangaduraiNishigandha
AwardName of StateCitationBest Film Friendly StateState of Madhya Pradesh
Dadasaheb Phalke Award The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The recipient is honoured for their "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema". The 2020 recipient is Asha Parekh.
Following were the jury members:
Asha Bhosle Hema Malini Poonam Dhillon Udit Narayan T. S. Nagabharana
AwardImageAwardee(s)Awarded AsCash prizeDadasaheb Phalke Award Asha Parekh Actress
Feature films
Jury Jury PanelCentralNorth South-1South-2EastWestChairpersonMembersAbhishek Shah
Golden Lotus Awards Official Name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
AwardFilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature FilmSoorarai PottruTamilProducer: 2D Entertainment Pvt.Ltd Suriya Jyothika Guneet Monga Director: Sudha Kongara ₹250,000 eachBest DirectionAyyappanum KoshiyumMalayalam Sachidanandan KR₹250,000 Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Tanhaji: The Unsung WarriorHindi Producer: Ajay Devgn FFilms Ajay Devgn Bhushan Kumar Krishan Kumar Director: Om Raut₹200,000 eachBest Children's FilmSumiMarathi Producer : Harshall Kamat Entertainment Director: Amol Vasant Gole Writer: Sanjeev K Jha ₹150,000 eachBest Debut Film of a DirectorMandelaTamilMadonne Ashwin Producer: YNOT Studios₹125,000
Silver Lotus Award Official Name: Rajat Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
AwardFilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Film on Environment Conservation/PreservationTaledandaKannadaProducer: Krupanidhi Kreations Hema Malini Krupakar Arun Kumar R Director: Praveen Krupakar₹150,000 eachBest Film on Other Social IssuesFunralMarathiProducer: Before After Entertainment Director: Vivek Dubey₹150,000 eachBest ActorSoorarai PottruTamilSuriya₹50,000 eachTanhaji: The Unsung WarriorHindiAjay DevgnBest ActressSoorarai PottruTamilAparna Balamurali₹50,000Best Supporting ActorAyyappanum KoshiyumMalayalam Biju Menon₹50,000Best Supporting ActressSivaranjiniyum Innum Sila PengalumTamil Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli₹50,000Best Child ArtistTak-TakMarathiAnish Mangesh Gosavi₹50,000 eachSumiAkanksha PingleDivyesh IndulkarBest Male Playback SingerMe VasantraoMarathiRahul Deshpande₹50,000Best Female Playback SingerAyyappanum KoshiyumMalayalamNanjiyamma₹50,000Best CinematographyAvijatrik Bengali Supratim Bhol₹50,000Best ScreenplaySoorarai Pottru Tamil Sudha KongaraShalini Usha Nair₹50,000Best ScreenplayMandelaTamil Madonne Ashwin₹50,000Best AudiographyDolluKannada Jobin Jayan ₹50,000Best AudiographyMe VasantraoMarathiAnmol Bhave₹50,000Best AudiographyMalikMalayalamVishnu Govind₹50,000Best Music DirectionAla VaikunthapurramulooTelugu S. Thaman₹50,000Best Music DirectionSoorarai PottruTamil G. V. Prakash Kumar₹50,000 Best LyricsSainaHindiManoj Muntashir₹50,000Best EditingSivaranjiniyum Innum Sila PengalumTamilA. Sreekar Prasad₹50,000Best Production DesignKappelaMalayalamAnees Nadodi₹50,000Best Make-up ArtistNatyamTelugu TV Rambabu₹50,000Best ChoreographyNatyamTeluguSandhya Raju₹50,000Best Costume DesignTanhaji: The Unsung WarriorHindi Nachiket BarveMahesh Sherla₹50,000 Best Stunt ChoreographerAyyappanum KoshiyumMalayalamRajasekhar Mafia Sasi Supreme Sundat₹50,000Special MentionSemkhor DimasaAimee BaruahCertificate OnlyVaanku MalayalamKavya PrakashJuneMarathiSiddharth MenonGodakaathMarathiKishor KadamAvwanchhitToolsidas JuniorHindiVarun Buddhadev
Regional awards National Film Awards are also given to the best films in the regional languages of India. Awards for the regional languages are categorised as per their mention in the Eighth schedule of the Constitution of India. Awardees included producers and directors of the film. No films in languages other than those specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution were eligible.
AwardFilmAwardee(s)Cash prize Producer DirectorBest Feature Film in AssameseBridgeSabita DeviKripal Kalita₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in BengaliAvijatrikGMB Films Pvt.ltdSubhrajit Mitra₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in HindiToolsidas JuniorAshutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt.LtdMridul Toolsidass₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in Kannada Dollu Wadeeyar Movies Sagar Puranik₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in Malayalam Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam Pushkar Films Senna Hegde₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in MarathiGoshta Eka PaithanichiPlanet MarathiShantanu Ganesh Rode₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in TamilSivaranjiniyum Innum Sila PengalumHamsa PicturesVasanth S Sai₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in TeluguColour Photo Amrutha ProductionsSandeep Raj₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Each of the Language Other Than Those Specified In the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
AwardFilmAwardee(s)Cash prize Producer Director Best Feature Film in HaryanviDada LakhmiAnhad Studio Pvt.LtdYashpal Sharma₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in TuluJeetigeA R ProductionsSanthosh Mada₹1,00,000 eachBest Feature Film in DimasaSemkhorAimee Baruah Production SocietyAimee Baruah₹1,00,000 each
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.
Golden Lotus Award Official Name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
AwardFilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Non-Feature FilmTestimony of AnaDangiProducer & Director: Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda₹1,50,000 eachBest Director of Non-Feature FilmOh That’s Bhanu English, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi R V Ramani₹1,50,000
Silver Lotus Award Official Name: Rajat Kamal
All the Awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.
AwardFilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Debut Non-Feature Film of A DirectorPariahMarathi, HindiProducer : MIT School of Film & Television-Pune Director: Vishesh Iyer 75,000/- each Best Biographical FilmPabung SyamManipuriProducer: Films DivisionDirector: Haobam Paban Kumar 50,000/- eachBest Arts / Cultural FilmNaadada Navaneeta Dr PT VenkateshkumarKannadaProducer: Dept. of Information and Public Relations, Govt. of KarnatakaDirector: Girish Kasaravalli 50,000/- eachBest Environment FilmManah Aru Manuh (Manas and People)AssameseProducer: Directorate, Manas National Park and Aaranyak Director: Dip Bhuyan 50,000/- eachBest Promotional FilmSurmounting ChallengesEnglishProducer: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.Director: Satish Pande 50,000/- eachBest Film on Social IssuesThree SistersBengali Producer:Ratnaboli RayDirector:Putul Rafey Mahmood₹150,000 eachJustice Delayed, But Delivered HindiProducer:Mandeep ChauhanDirector:Kamakhya Narayan Singh Best Educational FilmDreaming of Words Malayalam, TamilProducer: NandanDirector: Nandan 50,000/- each Best Ethnographic FilmMandal ke Bol (Rhythm of Mandal)HindiProducer: Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum-BhopalDirector: Rajendra Janglay 50,000/- eachBest Exploration Film Wheeling the BallEnglish, HindiProducer: Film DivisionDirector: Mukesh Sharma 50,000/- eachBest Investigative FilmThe Saviour:Brig. Pritam SinghPunjabiProducer: Akal ProductionsDirector: Dr. Paramjeet Singh Kattu 50,000/- eachBest Animation FilmBest Short Fiction Film Kachichinithu (The Boy with a Gun)KarbiProducer & Director: Khanjan Kishore Nath 50,000/- eachBest Film on Family ValuesKumkumarchan (Worship of the Goddess)MarathiProducer: Studio Filmy MonksDirector: Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi 50,000/- each Best CinematographyShabdikkunna Kalappa (Talking Plow)MalayalamNikhil S Praveen 50,000/- eachBest Audiography Pearl of the Desert Rajasthani Re-recordist (final mixed track): Ajit Singh Rathore 50,000/-Best On-Location Sound RecordistJadui Jangal (Magical Forest)HindiSandip Bhati & Pradeep Lekhwar 50,000/-Best Editing BorderlandsBengali, Nepali, Manipuri, Hindi, PunjabiAnadi Athaley 50,000/-Best Music Direction1232 KMSHindiVishal Bhardwaj 50,000/- Best Narration / Voice OverRhapsody of Rains- Monsoons of KeralaEnglishShobha Tharoor Sreenivasan 50,000/- Special Jury AwardAdmittedHindi, EnglishOjaswee Sharma (Director) 1,00,000/-
Best Writing on Cinema The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through publication of books, articles, reviews etc.
Jury A committee of three, headed by Utpal Borpujari was appointed to evaluate the nominations for the best writing on Indian cinema. The jury members were as follows:
Saibal Chatterjee (Chairman) Raghavendra Patil Rajeev Masand
Golden Lotus Award Official Name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with the Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal) accompanied with a cash prize.
AwardBookLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize Best Book on CinemaThe Longest Kiss: The Life and Times of Devika Rani English Kishwar DesaiPublisher: Westland Publications 75,000/- each
Special Mention All the awardees are awarded with a certificate.
AwardBookLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize Best Book on Cinema M T Anunahvangalude Pusthakam Malayalam Anoop Ramakrishnan Publisher: Malayala ManoramaCertificate Only Kali Paine Kalira Cinema Odia Surya Deo Publisher: Pakshighar Prakashani
References
External links National Film Awards Archives Official Page for Directorate of Film Festivals, India