69th National Film Awards

Indian ceremony celebrating cinema of 2021

69th National Film Awards

Awarded for| Best of Indian cinema in 2021
Awarded by| NFDC
Presented by| Droupadi Murmu
(President of India)
Announced on| 24 August 2023
Presented on| 17 October 2023
Official website| www.nfdcindia.com
Highlights
Best Feature Film| Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Best Non-Feature Film| Ek Tha Gaon
Best Book| Music by Laxmikant Pyarelal: The Incredibly Melodious Journey
Best Film Critic| Purushothama Charyulu
Dadasaheb Phalke Award| Waheeda Rehman
Most awards| RRR (6)

* <- 68th
* National Film Awards
* 70th ->

The 69th National Film Awards ceremony was an event during which the National Film Development Corporation of India presented its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2021 in Indian cinema. The awards ceremony was originally slated to be held on 3 May 2022 but was postponed due to delays after the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The winners were announced on 24 August 2023, by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a press conference.[2][3] The winners along with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient were felicitated by the President, Droupadi Murmu on 17 October 2023 at the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.[4][5]

## Selection process

[edit]

The National Film Development Corporation of India invited online entries on 31 March 2023 with the acceptable last date for entries until 10 May 2023. Feature and Non-Feature Films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between 1 January 2021, and 31 December 2021, 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 2021, and 31 December 2021, 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.[6]

## Dadasaheb Phalke Award

[edit]

Introduced in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema 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. The recipient is awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award' (Swarna Kamal), cash prize of ₹1 million (US$12,000) and a shawl. The 2021 recipient is Waheeda Rehman.[7]

A committee consisting five eminent personalities from Indian film industry was appointed to evaluate the lifetime achievement award, Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Following were the jury members:

* Jury Members

• Asha Parekh

• Chiranjeevi
• Paresh Rawal
• Shekhar Kapur
• Prosenjit Chatterjee
Award  | Image  | Awardee(s)  | Awarded As  | Cash Prize

|
|
|
|

Dadasaheb Phalke Award |  | Waheeda Rehman | Actress  | ₹1,000,000 (US$12,000)

## Feature films

[edit]

### Golden Lotus Awards

[edit]

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Award  | Film  | Language  | Awardee(s)  | Cash Prize

|
|
|
|

Best Feature Film | Rocketry: The Nambi Effect | Tamil
Hindi  | Director: R. Madhavan | ₹250,000
Best Direction | Godavari | Marathi  | Nikhil Mahajan  | ₹250,000
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | RRR | Telugu  | Producer: D. V. V. Danayya
Director: S. S. Rajamouli | ₹200,000 each
Best Children's Film | Gandhi & Co. | Gujarati  | Producer: MD Media Corp
Director: Manish Saini | ₹150,000 each
Best Debut Film of a Director | Meppadiyan | Malayalam  | Producer: Unni Mukundan
Director: Vishnu Mohan  | ₹125,000 each

### Silver Lotus Award

[edit]

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Award  | Film  | Language  | Awardee(s)  | Cash Prize

|
|
|
|

Best Feature Film on National Integration | The Kashmir Files | Hindi  | Producer: Abhishek Agarwal Arts
Director: Vivek Agnihotri | ₹150,000 each
Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation | Aavasavyuham | Malayalam  | Producer: Krishand
Director: Krishand  | ₹150,000 each
Best Film on Other Social Issues | Anunaad – The Resonance | Assameese  | Producer: Assam State Film Corporation
Director: Reema Borah  | ₹150,000 each
Best Actor | Pushpa: The Rise | Telugu  | Allu Arjun | ₹50,000
Best Actress | Gangubai Kathiawadi | Hindi  | Alia Bhatt | ₹50,000 each
Mimi | Hindi  | Kriti Sanon
Best Supporting Actor | Mimi | Hindi  | Pankaj Tripathi | ₹50,000
Best Supporting Actress | The Kashmir Files | Hindi  | Pallavi Joshi | ₹50,000
Best Child Artist | Chhello Show | Gujarati  | Bhavin Rabari  | ₹50,000
Best Male Playback Singer | RRR | Telugu  | Kaala Bhairava ("Komuram Bheemudo")  | ₹50,000
Best Female Playback Singer | Iravin Nizhal | Tamil & Telugu  | Shreya Ghoshal ("Mayava Chayava")  | ₹50,000
Best Cinematography | Sardar Udham | Hindi  | Avik Mukhopadhyay | ₹50,000
Best Screenplay
• Screenplay Writer (Original) | Nayattu | Malayalam  | Shahi Kabir  | ₹50,000
Best Screenplay
• Screenplay Writer (Adapted) | Gangubai Kathiawadi | Hindi  | Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Utkarshini Vashishtha | ₹50,000
Best Screenplay
• Dialogues | Gangubai Kathiawadi | Hindi  | Utkarshini Vashishtha
Prakash Kapadia  | ₹50,000
Best Audiography
• Location Sound Recordist | Chavittu | Malayalam  | Arun Asok
Sonu KP  | ₹50,000
Best Audiography
• Sound Designer | Jhilli | Bengali  | Aneesh Basu  | ₹50,000
Best Audiography
• Re-recordist of the Final Mixed Track | Sardar Udham | Hindi  | Sinoy Joseph | ₹50,000
Best Music Direction
• Songs | Pushpa: The Rise | Telugu  | Devi Sri Prasad | ₹50,000
Best Music Direction
• Background Score | RRR | Telugu  | M. M. Keeravani | ₹50,000
Best Editing | Gangubai Kathiawadi | Hindi  | Sanjay Leela Bhansali  | ₹50,000
Best Production Design | Sardar Udham | Hindi  | Dmitri Malich-Konkov
Mansi Dhruv Mehta  | ₹50,000
Best Costume Design | Sardar Udham | Hindi  | Veera Kapur Ee  | ₹50,000
Best Make-up Artist | Gangubai Kathiawadi | Hindi  | Preetishsheel Singh D'Souza  | ₹50,000
Best Lyrics | Konda Polam | Telugu  | Chandrabose ("Dham Dham Dham")  | ₹50,000
Best Special Effects | RRR | Telugu  | V. Srinivas Mohan | ₹50,000
Best Choreography | RRR | Telugu  | Prem Rakshith ("Naatu Naatu")  | ₹50,000
Best Stunt Choreographer | RRR | Telugu  | King Soloman  | ₹50,000
Special Jury Award | Shershaah | Hindi  | Producer: Karan Johar, Dharma Productions
Director: Vishnuvardhan | ₹2,00,000 each
Special Mention | Nallandi
Aranya & Bithan
Indrans
Jahanara Begum  | Tamil
Bengali
Malayalam
Assamese  | Kadaisi Vivasayi
Jhilli
Home
Anur | Certificate only

### Regional awards

[edit]

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.

Award  | Film  | Awardee(s)  | Cash Prize

|
|
|

Producer  | Director
Best Feature Film in Assamese | Anur | Gopendra Mohan Das  | Monjul Baruah  | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Bengali | Kalkokkho | Anjan Bose  | Rajdeep Paul, Sarmistha Maiti  | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Gujarati | Chhello Show | Pan Nalin, Dheer Momaya, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Marc Duale  | Pan Nalin | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Hindi | Sardar Udham | Ronnie Lahiri, Sheel Kumar  | Shoojit Sircar | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Kannada | 777 Charlie | G. S. Gupta, Rakshit Shetty | Kiranraj K.  | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Maithili | Samanantar | Niraj Kumar Mishra, Atul Pandey  | Niraj Kumar Mishra  | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Malayalam | Home | Vijay Babu | Rojin Thomas | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Manipuri | Eikhoigi Yum | Romi Meitei & Chingsubam Sheetal  | Romi Meitei | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Marathi | Ekda Kaay Zala | Saleel Kulkarni, Siddharth Mahadevan, Soumil Shringarpure, Siddharth Khinvasara, Soumendu Kuber, Arundhati Datye, Anoop Nimkar, Nitin Prakash Vaidya  | Saleel Kulkarni | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Odia | Pratikshya | Anupam Patnaik  | Anupam Patnaik  | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Tamil | Kadaisi Vivasayi | M. Manikandan | M. Manikandan | ₹1,00,000 each
Best Feature Film in Telugu | Uppena | Naveen Yerneni, Y. Ravi Shankar  | Buchi Babu Sana | ₹1,00,000 each

## Non-Feature films

[edit]

Non-feature 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

[edit]

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Award  | Film  | Language  | Awardee(s)  | Cash Prize

|
|
|
|

Best Non-Feature Film | Ek Tha Gaon |  | Producer & Director: Srishti Lakhera  | ₹1,50,000 each
Best Director of Non-Feature Film | Smile Please | Hindi  | Bakul Matiyani  | ₹1,50,000

### Silver Lotus Award

[edit]

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

All the Awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.

Award  | Film  | Language  | Awardee(s)  | Cash Prize

|
|
|
|

Best Debut Non-Feature Film of A Director | Paanchika |  | Producer: Shreya Kapadiya
Director: Ankit Kothari  | ₹ 75,000/- each
Best Biographical Film | Beyond Blast | Manipuri | Producer: Konjengbam Sushila Leima

Director: Saikhom Ratan

| ₹ 50,000/- each
Rukhu Matir Dukhu Majhi | Bengali  | Producer: Somnath Mondal
Director: Somnath Mondal  | ₹ 50,000/- each
Best Arts / Cultural Film | T. N. Krishnan Bow Strings to Divine |  | Producer: National Film Development Corporation of India
Director: V. Packirisamy  | ₹ 50,000/- each
Best Environment Film | Munnam Valavu | Malayalam  | Producer: Sree Gokulam Movies
Director: R S Pradeep  | ₹ 50,000/- each
Best Promotional Film | Endangered Heritage |  | Producer: Baba Cinemas
Director: Hemant Verma  | ₹ 50,000/- each
Best Film on Social Issues | Mithu Di Three Two One |  | Producer: Asim Kumar Sinha
Director: Asim Kumar Sinha  | ₹150,000 each
Three Two One |  | Producer: Film and Television Institute of India
Director: Himanshu Prajapati
Best Educational Film | Sirpigalin Sirpangal | Tamil  | Producer: KKV Media Venture
Director: B. Lenin  | ₹ 50,000/- each
Best Ethnographic Film |  |  | Producer:
Director:  | ₹ 50,000/- each
Best Exploration Film | Ayushman | English
Kannada  | Producer: Mathew Varghese
Dinesh Rajkumar N.
Naveen Francis
Director: Jacob Varghese  | ₹50,000/- each
Best Investigative Film | Looking for Challan | English  | Producer: IGNCA
Director: Bappa Ray  | ₹50,000/- each
Best Animation Film | Kandittundu | Malayalam  | Producer: Studio Eeksaurus Productions Pvt. Ltd.
Director: Adithi Krishnadas  | ₹50,000/-
Best Short Fiction Film | Dal Bhat | Gujarati  | Producer & Director: Nemil Shah  | ₹50,000/- each
Best Film on Family Values | Chand Saanse | Hindi  | Producer: Chandrakant Kulkarni
Director: Pratima Joshi  | ₹50,000/- each
Best Cinematography | Pataal-Tee | Bhotiya  | Bittu Rawat  | ₹50,000/- each
Best Audiography | Ek Tha Gaon | Garhwali
Hindi  | Re-recordist: Krishnanunni N R  | ₹50,000/-
Best Location Sound Recordist (Location/Sync Sound)  | Meen Raag | Rajasthani  | Production Sound Recordist: Suruchi Sharma  | ₹50,000/-
Best Editing | If Memory Serves Me Right | English  | Abhro Banerjee  | ₹50,000/-
Best Music Direction | Succulent | Hindi
English
Marathi  | Ishaan Divecha | ₹50,000/-
Best Narration / Voice Over | Hati Bondhu | English
Assamese  | Kulada Kumar Bhattacharjee | ₹50,000/-
Special Jury Award | Rekha | Marathi  | Shekhar Bapu Rankhambe  | ₹1,00,000/-
Special Mention Award | Karuvarai | Tamil[8] | Ganesh Babu, Srikanth Deva |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Call for entries for 69th National Films Awards 2021". e-pao.net.
2. ^ "69th National Film Awards for the year 2021 announce". Press Information Bureau. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
3. ^ "69th National Film Awards 2023 complete winners list: Rocketry, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon, Allu Arjun, RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi win big". 24 August 2023.
4. ^ "Media Advisory for 69th National Film Awards". Press Information Bureau. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
5. ^ Live: Presentation Ceremony of the "69th National Film Awards" - 17 October 2023. DD National. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023 - via YouTube.
6. ^ "69th National Films Awards 2021" (PDF). NFDC.
7. ^ The Indian Express (26 September 2023). "Waheeda Rehman honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award for contributions to Indian cinema, expemplifying 'strength of Bharatiya Nari'". Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
8. ^ "Srikanth Deva, EV Ganesh Babu celebrate as 'Karuvarai' wins Best Non-Feature Film". ANI News.

## External links

[edit]

* National Film Awards Archives
* Official Page for Directorate of Film Festivals, India

* v
* t
* e

National Film Awards

* National Film Development Corporation of India
* Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
* Cinema of India

Lifetime Achievement|

* Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Feature Films|

| Current awards|

| Golden Lotus|

* Feature Film
* Direction
* Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
* Children's Film
* Debut Film of a Director
* AVGC (Animation Film)

|

Silver Lotus|

* Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values
* Assamese Feature Film
* Bengali Feature Film
* Gujarati Feature Film
* Hindi Feature Film
* Kannada Feature Film
* Konkani Feature Film
* Malayalam Feature Film
* Manipuri Feature Film
* Marathi Feature Film
* Odia Feature Film
* Punjabi Feature Film
* Tamil Feature Film
* Telugu Feature Film
* Screenplay
* Actor in a Leading Role
* Actress in a Leading Role
* Actor in a Supporting Role
* Actress in a Supporting Role
* Child Artist
* Cinematography
* Editing
* Music Direction
* Male Singer
* Female Singer
* Lyrics
* Production Design
* AVGC (Visual Effects)
* Choreography
* Stunt Choreography
* Costume Design
* Make-up
* Sound Design
* Special Mention

Intermittent awards|

* Bhojpuri Feature Film
* Bodo Feature Film
* Chhattisgarhi Feature Film
* Dimasa Feature Film
* Dogri Feature Film
* English Feature Film
* Garo Feature Film
* Haryanvi Feature Film
* Jasari Feature Film
* Kashmiri Feature Film
* Khasi Feature Film
* Kodava Feature Film
* Kokborok Feature Film
* Ladakhi Feature Film
* Maithili Feature Film
* Mising Feature Film
* Mizo Feature Film
* Monpa Feature Film
* Moran Feature Film
* Paniya Feature Film
* Pangchenpa Feature Film
* Rabha Feature Film
* Rajasthani Feature Film
* Sanskrit Feature Film
* Sherdukpen
* Tiwa Feature Film
* Tulu Feature Film
* Urdu Feature Film
* Wancho Feature Film

Discontinued awards|

* Second Feature Film
* Third Feature Film
* Story
* Film Based on High Literary Work
* Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation
* Film on Family Welfare
* Film on National Integration
* Film on Other Social Issues
* Special Jury
* Animated Film
* Special Effects

Non-Feature Films|

| Current awards|

| Golden Lotus|

* Non-Feature Film
* Direction
* Debut Film of a Director

|

Silver Lotus|

* Non Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values
* Documentry
* Arts/Cultural Film
* Biographical/Historical Reconstruction/Compilation Film
* Animation Film
* Short Film
* Script
* Cinematography
* Editing
* Narration / Voice Over
* Best Music Direction
* Sound Design
* Special Mention

Discontinued awards|

* Experimental Film
* Industrial Film
* Agriculture Film
* Anthropological/Ethnographic Film
* Biographical Film
* Educational/Motivational/Instructional Film
* Environment/Conservation/Preservation Film
* Exploration/Adventure Film
* Film on Family Welfare
* Historical Reconstruction/Compilation Film
* Investigative Film
* Promotional Film
* Scientific Film
* Film on Social Issues
* Filmstrip
* News Review
* Newsreel Cameraman
* Special Jury

Writing on cinema|

| Current awards|

* Best Book on Cinema
* Best Film Critic

|

Intermittent awards|

* Special Mention (Book on Cinema)
* Special Mention (Film Critic)

Awards by year|

| 1953–1960|

* 1953 (1st)
* 1954 (2nd)
* 1955 (3rd)
* 1956 (4th)
* 1957 (5th)
* 1958 (6th)
* 1959 (7th)
* 1960 (8th)

|

1961–1980|

* 1961 (9th)
* 1962 (10th)
* 1963 (11th)
* 1964 (12th)
* 1965 (13th)
* 1966 (14th)
* 1967 (15th)
* 1968 (16th)
* 1969 (17th)
* 1970 (18th)
* 1971 (19th)
* 1972 (20th)
* 1973 (21st)
* 1974 (22nd)
* 1975 (23rd)
* 1976 (24th)
* 1977 (25th)
* 1978 (26th)
* 1979 (27th)
* 1980 (28th)

1981–2000|

* 1981 (29th)
* 1982 (30th)
* 1983 (31st)
* 1984 (32nd)
* 1985 (33rd)
* 1986 (34th)
* 1987 (35th)
* 1988 (36th)
* 1989 (37th)
* 1990 (38th)
* 1991 (39th)
* 1992 (40th)
* 1993 (41st)
* 1994 (42nd)
* 1995 (43rd)
* 1996 (44th)
* 1997 (45th)
* 1998 (46th)
* 1999 (47th)
* 2000 (48th)

2001–2020|

* 2001 (49th)
* 2002 (50th)
* 2003 (51st)
* 2004 (52nd)
* 2005 (53rd)
* 2006 (54th)
* 2007 (55th)
* 2008 (56th)
* 2009 (57th)
* 2010 (58th)
* 2011 (59th)
* 2012 (60th)
* 2013 (61st)
* 2014 (62nd)
* 2015 (63rd)
* 2016 (64th)
* 2017 (65th)
* 2018 (66th)
* 2019 (67th)
* 2020 (68th)

2021–present|

* 2021 (69th)
* 2022 (70th)

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