The National Film Awards for the year 2022, announced this past Friday, witnessed an overwhelmingly dominant presence of regional movies, bringing resounding recognition to the vibrant and diverse tapestry of Indian cinema. The Malayalam film, “Aattam: The Play,” emerged as the Best Feature Film, setting a celebratory tone that echoed across the awards ceremony.
In a significant highlight, Rishab Shetty clinched the Best Actor award for his compelling performance in the Kannada movie “Kantara.” This remarkable portrayal captivated both critics and audiences alike, cementing Shetty’s place amongst the most distinguished actors in the industry. Equally impressive was the dual acknowledgment received by Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh, who shared the Best Actress award for their spectacular roles in “Thiruchitrambalam” (Tamil) and “Kutch Express” (Gujarati), respectively.
“Aattam: The Play” continued its winning streak, being declared the best in the editing category through the exceptional work of Mahesh Bhuvanend, alongside bagging another award for screenplay (Anand Ekarshi), an accolade it shares with the Hindi film “Gulmohar” (Arpita Mukherjee and Rahul V. Chittella). “Kantara” also nabbed the award for the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, while Jani Master and Sathish Krishnan were honored with the Best Choreography award for their extraordinary effort in “Thiruchitrambalam.”
The film “Gulmohar” further celebrated its success by winning the Best Hindi Film award. Meanwhile, Niki Joshi stood out by winning the Best Costume Designer award for her work in “Kutch Express,” showcasing the splendid diversity and artistry in regional filmmaking.
The Best Direction accolade was awarded to Sooraj R. Barjatya for his stellar work in “Uunchai: Zenith” (Hindi). Pavan Raj Malhotra won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in the Haryanvi film “Fouja,” and Neena Gupta was named the Best Supporting Actress for her part in “Uunchai: Zenith” in the feature films category. “Fouja” also took home the title of the best debut film, marking a significant milestone for the team behind this breakthrough project.
Recognition for technical brilliance saw Ananda Addhya receiving the Best Production Design award for the Bengali film “Aparajito: The Undefeated,” which also triumphed in the best make-up category with the expertise of Somnath Kundu.
. Naushad Sadar Khan’s lyrics in “Fouja” earned him the Best Lyrics award.
The musical landscape of Indian cinema was not left unnoticed, as A.R. Rahman was honored with the Best Music Director award for background music in Mani Ratnam’s “Ponniyin Selvan-Part 1” (Tamil), which also won the Best Cinematography (Ravi Varman) and the Best Sound Design (Anand Krishnamoorthi). Pritam received the Best Music Director award for songs, while Arijit Singh was celebrated as the Best Male Playback Singer for “Kesariya,” from the movie “Brahmastra-Part 1: Shiva.” Padma Shri awardee Bombay Jayashri won the Best Female Playback Singer award for “Chaayum Veyil,” a song in “Saudi Vellaka CC 225/2009,” which was also chosen as the best Malayalam film.
In the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comic category, “Brahmastra-Part 1: Shiva,” directed by Ayan Mukerji with VFX supervisors Jaykar Arudra, Viral Thakkar, and Neelesh Gore, took home the award for the best film.
Anbumani and Arivumani, collectively known as Anbariv, won the award for Best Action Direction (stunt choreography), further showcasing their prowess and creativity in action sequences. The Best Child Artist award was presented to Sreepath for his role in the Malayalam film “Malikapurram.”
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj won the Best Music Director award for his short film “Fursat,” adding to the diversity of talent recognized at this year’s ceremony. Deepak Dua received the Best Film Critic award for his insightful and poignant reviews.
In the non-feature film segment, “Ayena: Mirror” (Hindu/Urdu) was celebrated as the Best Non-Feature Film, while “Murmurs Of The Jungle” (Marathi) was honored with the Best Documentary award. The Best Book on Cinema was awarded to “Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography” by Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Parthiv Dhar, lauding the narrative’s depth and precision in chronicling the legendary singer’s life.
The 2022 National Film Awards proved to be a testament to the enormous talent and creativity flourishing within India’s regional cinemas, bringing unparalleled recognition to regional filmmakers, actors, and technical artisans who continue to enrich the country’s cultural heritage through their extraordinary contributions to the world of cinema.
