Rocketry: The Nambi Effect has won the best feature film award at the 69th National Film Awards, while Telugu film RRR won the Best Feature Film for Wholesome Entertainment, the jury announced on Thursday, August 24. Telugu actor Allu Arjun won the Best Actor (male) award for Pushpa:The Rise - Part 1 and Alia Bhatt (Gangubai Kathiawadi) and Kriti Sanon (Mimi) shared the Best Actor (female) award. Controversial film The Kashmir Files won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Film for National Integration, while Nikhil Mahajan won Best Director for the Marathi film Godavari.
The Best Kannada Film went to 777 Charlie starring Rakshit Shetty and Charlie the labrador dog. Directed by Rojin Thomas, Home won the Best Malayalam Film. The movie stars veteran actor Indrans and Manju Pillai. Kadaisi Vivasayi, directed by M Manikandan and featuring Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu, won the Best Tamil Film award. The Best Telugu Film award went to Uppena, directed by debutant Buchi Babu Sana, and starring Krithi Shetty, Vaisshnav Tej and Vijay Sethupathi.
The awards were announced by the jury members at a press meet on Thursday. Filmmaker Ketan Mehta headed the jury for feature films, and Tamil director Vasanth Sai led the jury for non-feature films. The jury announced that the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema, will be announced later.
Best Feature Film - Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Best Direction - Nikhil Mahajan for Godavari (Marathi)
Best Actor - Allu Arjun (Pushpa:The Rise - Part 1)
Best Actress - Alia Bhatt (Gangubai Kathiawadi) and Kriti Sanon (Mimi)
Best Supporting Actor - Pankaj Tripathi for Mimi
Best Supporting Actress - Pallavi Joshi for The Kashmir Files
Best Cinematography - Avik Mukhopadhyay for Sardar Udham
Best Screenplay Writer - Original - Shahi Kabir for Nayattu
Best Screenplay Writer - Adapted - Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Utkarshini Vashishtha for Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Screenplay (Dialogues) - Utkarshini Vashishtha and Prakash Kapadia for Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Music Direction (Songs) - Devi Sri Prasad for Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1
Best Music Direction (Background Score) - MM Keeravani for RRR
Best Lyrics - Chandrabose for the song ‘Dham Dham Dham’ from Konda Polam
Best Editing - Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Gangubai Kathiawadi
Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film of a Director - Vishnu Mohan for Meppadiyan
Best Production Design - Dmitrii Malich and Mansi Dhruv Mehta for Sardar Udham
Special Jury Award - Shershaah
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment - RRR
Best Children's Film - Gandhi & Co.
Best Choreography - Prem Rakshith for RRR
Best Special Effects - V Srinivas Mohan for RRR
Best Make-up Artist - Preetisheel Singh D’souza for Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Costume Design - Veera Kapur Ee for Sardar Udham
Best Stunt Choreographer - King Solomon for RRR
Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation - Aavasavyuham
Best Film on Social Issues - Anunaad
Best Child Artist - Bhavin Rabari for Chello Show
Best Male Playback Singer - Kaala Bhairava for Komuram Bheemudo from RRR
Best Female Playback Singer - Shreya Ghoshal for 'Maayava Chaayava' from Iravin Nizhal
Best Audiography (Location Sound Recordist) - Arun Asok and Sonu KP for Chavittu
Best Audiography (Sound Designer) - Aneesh Basu for Jhilli
Best Audiography (Re-recordist of the Final Mixed Track) - Sinoy Joseph for Sardar Udham
Award For Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment - RRR by SS Rajamouli (Telugu)
Nargis Dutt Award For Best Film on National Integration - The Kashmir Files
Kadaisi Vivasayi - Late Shri Nallandi
Jhilli - Aranya Gupta and Bithan Biswas
Home - Indrans
Anur - Eyes on the Sunshine - Jahanara Begum
Best Assamese film - Anur
Best Bengali film - Kalkokkho
Best Hindi film - Sardar Udham
Best Gujarati film - Chhello Show
Best Kannada film - 777 Charlie
Best Marathi film - Ekda Kaay Zala
Best Malayalam film - Home
Best Odia film - Pratikshya
Best Tamil film - Kadaisi Vivasayi
Best Telugu film - Uppena
Critic (special mention) - Subramanya Badoor (Kannada)
Best film critic - Purushothama Charyulu (Telugu)
Best book on cinema - ‘Music by Laxmikant Pyarelal: The Incredibly Melodious Journey’ by Rajiv Vijayakar
The award for best non-feature film went to Ek Tha Gaon, a film in Hindi and Garhwali produced and directed by Srishti Lakhera.
The National Film Awards was constituted in 1954. Initially, two gold medals and certificates of merit were given to two best films across states, and silver medals were given to regional films. Later, the number of awards were increased, and awards for artists and technicians have been given since 1968. Currently, the awards are given under three categories – Features, Non-Features and Best Writing on Cinema.