The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Film Awards for the year 2021 under various categories at 69th edition of the ceremony in New Delhi on 17 October 2023.
- The Jury for the 69th National Film Awards announced the winners for the year 2021 on 24 August 2023.
Key Points:
- Best feature film award has been given to Rocketry: The Nambi Effect and the Best Non-Feature Film has been bagged by Ek Tha Gaon directed by Srishti Lakhera.
- The Kashmir Files has been awarded with Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration, while RRR has bagged the Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
- Allu Arjun has won the award for Best Actor for his stellar performance in the movie Pushpa (The Rise Part I) while Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon have become joint winners of Best Actress Award for Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mimi respectively.
Complete List of Winners of the 69th National Film Awards, 2021:
Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2021:
- The President of India also conferred Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2021 on Ms Waheeda Rehman.
- The recipient is awarded with ‘Golden Lotus Award’ (Swarna Kamal), cash prize of Rs 1 million (US$13,000) and a shawl.
Best Writing on Cinema
Award for Best Book on Cinema:
Title of the Book: MUSIC BY LAXMIKANT PYARELAL: THE INCREDIBLY MELODIOUS JOURNEY
- Language: English
- Author: Rajiv Vijayakar
Award for Best Film Critic:
Name of Critic: Purushothama Charyulu
- Language: Telugu
Special Mention – Critic
- Name of Critic: Subramanya Badoor
- Language: Kannada
69th National Film Awards 2021: Feature Films
Best Feature Film: Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (Hindi), Producer: Rocketry Entertainment LLP, Director: R Madhavan
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Meppadiyan (Malayalam), Producer: Unni Mukundan Films Private Ltd, Director: Vishnu Mohan
Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: RRR (Telugu), Producer: DVV Entertainments LLP, Director: S S Rajamouli
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: The Kashmir Files (Hindi), Producer: Zee Studios Limited, Director: Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri
Best Film on Social Issues: Anunaad-The Resonance (Assamese), Producer: Assam State Film Corporation Ltd, Director: Reema Borah
Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation: Aavasavyuham (Malayalam), Producer: Krishand Films, Director: Krishand
Best Children’s Film: Gandhi&Co. (Gujarati), Producer: MD Media Corp, Director: Manish Saini
Best Direction: Godavari (The Holy Water) (Marathi), Director: Nikhil Mahajan
Best Actor: Pushpa (The Rise Part I) (Telugu), Lead Actor: Allu Arjun
Best Actress: (Jointly) Gangubai Kathiawadi (Hindi), Lead Actress: Alia Bhatt; and Mimi (Hindi), Lead Actress: Kriti Sanon
Best Supporting Actor: Mimi (Hindi), Supporting Actor: Pankaj Tripathi
Best Supporting Actress: The Kashmir Files (Hindi), Supporting Actress: Pallavi Joshi
Best Child Artist: Last Film Show (Chhello Show) (Gujarati), Child Artist: Bhavin Rabari
Best Male Playback Singer: RRR (Telugu), Singer: Kaala Bhairava, (Song: Komuram Bheemudo)
Best Female Playback Singer: Iravin Nizhal (Shadow of the Night) (Tamil), Singer: Shreya Ghoshal (Song: Maayava Chaayavaa)
Best Cinematography: Sardar Udham (Hindi), Cameraman: Avik Mukhopadhayay
Best Screenplay (original): Nayattu (The Hunt) (Malayalam), Screenplay writer (original): Shahi Kabir
Best Screenplay (Adapted): Gangubai Kathiawadi (Hindi), Screenplay writer (Adapted): Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Utkarshini Vashishtha
Best Dialogue Writer: Gangubai Kathiawadi (Hindi), Dialogue Writer: Utkarshini Vashishtha & Prakash Kapadia
Best Audiography (Best Production Sound Recordist (Location / sync sound)): Chavittu (Malayalam), Arun Asok & Sonu K P
Best Audiography (Sound Designer): Jhilli (Discards) (Bengali), Aneesh Basu
Best Audiography (Re- Recording (Final Mixing)): Sardar Udham (Hindi), Sinoy Joseph
Best Editing: Gangubai Kathiawadi (Hindi), Editor: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Best Production Design: Sardar Udham (Hindi), Production Designer: Dmitrii Malich & Mansi Dhruv Mehta
Best Costume Designer: Sardar Udham (Hindi), Costume Designer: Veera Kapur Ee
Best Make-up Artist: Gangubai Kathiawadi (Hindi), Make-up Artist: Preetisheel Singh D’souza
Best Music Direction (Songs): Pushpa (The Rise Part I) (Telugu), Music Director (Songs): Devi Sri Prasad
Best Music Direction (Background Score): RRR (Telugu), Music Director (Background Score): M.M. Keeravaani
Best Lyrics: Konda Polam (Telugu), Lyricist: Chandrabose (Song: Dham Dham Dham)
Special Jury Award: Shershaah, Director: Vishnu Varadhan
Best Special Effects: RRR (Telugu), Special Effects Creator: V Srinivas Mohan
Best Choreography: RRR (Telugu), Choreographer: Prem Rakshith
Best Action Direction Award (Stunt Choreography): RRR (Telugu), Stunt Choreographer: King Soloman
Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Best Assamese Film: Anur (Eyes on the Sunshine), Producer: Gopendra Mohan Das, Director: Monjul Baruah
Best Bengali Film: Kalkokkho – House of Time, Producer: Aurora Film Corporation Pvt Ltd, Director: Rajdeep Paul & Sarmistha Maiti
Best Hindi Film: Sardar Udham (Hindi), Producer: Kino works LLP, Director: Sujit Sircar
Best Gujarati Film: Last Film Show (Chhello Show), Producer: Jugaad Motion Pictures, Director: Pan Nalin
Best Kannada Film: 777 Charlie, Producer: Parmvah Studios Pvt.Ltd, Director: Kiranraj K
Best Maithili Film: Samanantar (The Parallel), Producer: Anirati Films, Director: Niraj Kumar Mishra
Best Marathi Film: Ekda Kay Zala, Producer: Gajavadana Showbox LLP, Director: Saleel Shrinivas Kulkarni
Best Malayalam Film: Home, Producer: Friday Film House Pvt.Ltd, Director: Rojin.P.Thomas
Best Meiteilon Film: Eikhoigi Yum, (Our Home), Producer: Chingsubam Sheetal, Director: Mayanglambam Romi Meitei
Best Odia Film: Pratikshya (The Wait), Producer: Amiya Patnaik Procutions, Director: Anupam Patnaik
Best Tamil Film: Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer), Producer: Tribal Arts, Director: M. Manikandan
Best Telugu Film: Uppena (Wave), Producer: Mythri Movie Makers, Director: Sana Buchibabu
Best Feature Film in each of the languages other than those specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Best Mishing Film: Boomba Ride, Producer: Quarter Moon productions, Director: Biswajit Bora
Special Mention: (Certificate Only)
- Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer), Late Shri Nallandi
- Jhilli (Discards), Aranya Gupta & Bithan Biswas
- Home, Indrans
- Anur – Eyes on the Sunshine, Jahanara Begum
69th National Film Awards 2021: Non-Feature Films
BEST NON-FEATURE FILM: Ek Tha Gaon, Producer & Director: Srishti Lakhera
BEST DEBUT NON-FEATURE FILM OF A DIRECTOR: Paanchika, Producer: Shreya Kapadiya, Director: Ankit Kothari
BEST ANTHROPOLOGICAL: Fire on Edge, Producer: Risen North East. Non Govt. Organization, Director: Pranab Jyoti Deka
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL FILM/HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION/COMPILATION FILM:
- Rukhu Matir Dukhu Majhi, Producer & Director: Somnath Mondal
- Beyond Blast, Producer: Luwang Apokpa Mamikon, Director: Saikhom Ratan
BEST ARTS FILM: T.N. Krishnan Bow Strings to Divine, Producer: NFDC, Director: V. Packirisamy
BEST SCIENCE & TECHNOLGY FILM: Ethos of Darkness, Producer: Sri Ganesh Productions, Director: Avijit Banerjee
BEST PROMOTIONAL FILM (to cover tourism, exports, crafts, industry, etc.): Endangered Heritage ‘Warli Art’, Producer: Baba Cinemas, Director: Hemant Verma
BEST ENVIRONMENT FILM INCLUDING AGRICULTURE: Munnam Valavu, Producer: Sree Gokulam Movies, Director: R S Pradeep
BEST FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUES:
- Mithu Di, Producer & Director: Asim Kumar Sinha
- Three Two One, Producer: FTII, Director: Himanshu Prajapati
BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM: Sirpigalin Sirpangal, Producer: KKV Media Venture, Director: B Lenin
BEST EXPLORATION / ADVENTURE FILM (to include sports): Ayushman, Producer: Mathew Varghese, Dinesh Rajkumar N, Naveen Francis, Director: Jacob Varghese
BEST INVESTIGATIVE FILM: Looking For Challan, Producer: IGNCA, Director: Bappa Ray
BEST ANIMATION FILM: Kandittundu, Producer: Studio Eeksaurus Productions Pvt.Ltd, Director: Adithi Krishnadas
SPECIAL JURY AWARD: Rekha, Director: Shekhar Bapu Rankhambe
BEST SHORT FICTION FILM: Dal Bhat, Producer: Nemil Shah, Director: Nemil Shah
BEST FILM ON FAMILY VALUES: Chand Saanse, Producer: Chandrakant Kulkarni, Director: Pratima Joshi
BEST DIRECTION: Smile Please, Director: Bakul Matiyani
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Pataal – Tee, Cinematographer: Bittu Rawat
BEST AUDIOGRAPHY (Re-recordist of the final mixed track): Ek Tha Gaon, Re-recordist (final mixed track): Unni krishnan
BEST PRODUCTION SOUND RECORDIST (LOCATION/SYNC SOUND): Meen Raag, Production sound recordist: Suruchi Sharma
BEST EDITING: If Memory Serves Me Right, Editor: Abhro Banerjee
BEST MUSIC DIRECTION: Succelent, Music Director: Ishaan Divecha
BEST NARRATION/ VOICE OVER: Hathibondhu, Voice Over: Kulada Kumar Bhattacharjee
SPECIAL MENTION: (Certificate Only)
- Baale Bangara, Aniruddha Jatkar
- Karuvarai, Srikanth Deva
- The Healing Touch, Sweta Kumar Das
- Ek Duaa, Ram Kamal Mukherjee
About Award:
- The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India.
- Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government’s Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.