The spotlight shone brightly on the Indian film industry as the winners of the 70th National Film Awards were unveiled by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Covering films released in 2022, these awards were initially delayed due to the pandemic but managed to maintain their prestige and grandeur. The announcement has been met with excitement and accolades from across the industry.
The jury for the National Film Awards 2024 included esteemed members such as Rahul Rawail, Chairperson of the Feature Film Jury; Nila Madhab Panda, Chairperson of the Non-Feature Film Jury; and Mr. Gangadhar Mudalair, Chairperson of the Best Writing on Cinema Jury. Their dedicated evaluation led to the selection of exceptional winners who have made their mark on Indian cinema.
### Highlighting The Winners
One of the top honors, Best Film, was awarded to *Aattam*, directed by Aanand Ekarshi.
. Ekarshi’s compelling storytelling also earned him the award for Best Screenplay, marking *Aattam* as a standout film in Indian cinema. Sooraj R Barjatya’s enthralling direction in *Uunchai* secured him the award for Best Direction.
### Major Wins in Feature Films
#### Best Film and Performances:
– **Best Film:** *Aattam* by Aanand Ekarshi
– **Best Direction:** Sooraj R Barjatya for *Uunchai*
– **Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment:** *Kantara* by Rishab Shetty
– **Best Debut Film of a Director:** Pramod Kumar for *Fouja*
– **Best Actor:** Rishabh Shetty for *Kantara*
– **Best Actress:** Nithya Menen for *Thiruchitrambhalam* and Manasi Parekh for *Kutch Express*
– **Best Supporting Actor:** Pavan Raj Malhotra for *Fouja*
– **Best Supporting Actress:** Neena Gupta for *Uunchai*
– **Best Child Artist:** Sreepath for *Malikappuram*
#### Technical Excellence:
– **Best Cinematography:** Ravi Varman for *Ponniyin Selvan 1*
– **Best Screenplay:** Anand Ekarshi for *Aattam*
– **Best Dialogue Writer:** Arpita Mukherjee and Rahul V Chittela for *Gulmohar*
– **Best Production Design:** Ananda Addhya for *Aparajito*
– **Best Action Choreography:** Anbariv for *KGF Chapter 2*
– **Best Make-Up Artist:** Somnath Kundu for *Aparajito*
– **Best Costume Design:** Niki Joshi for *Kutch Express*
#### Musical and Sound Contributions:
– **Best Music Direction for Songs:** Pritam for *Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva*
– **Best Music Direction for Background Scores:** AR Rahman for *Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1*
– **Best Lyrics:** Naushad Sadar Khan for ‘Salaami’ in *Fouja*
– **Best Male Playback Singer:** Arijit Singh for ‘Kesariya’ from *Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva*
– **Best Female Playback Singer:** Bombay Jayashri for ‘Chaayum Veyil’ from *Saudi Vellakka CC 225/2009*
#### Additional Recognitions:
– **Best Choreography:** Jani Master and Sathish Krishnan for ‘Megham Karukatha’ in *Thiruchitrambalam*
– **Best Sound Design:** Anand Krishnamoorthy for *Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1*
– **Best Editing:** Mahesh Bhuvanend for *Aattam*
– **Special Jury Award:** Manoj Bajpayee for *Gulmohar* and Sanjoy Chowdhury for *Kadhikan*
### Regional Cinema Excellence
The awards also celebrated the brilliance of regional cinema, recognizing the finest films across various languages:
– **Best Assamese Film:** *Emuthi Puthi* by Kulanandini Mahanta
– **Best Bengali Film:** *Kaberi Antardhan* by Kaushik Gangula
– **Best Hindi Film:** *Gulmohar* by Rahul V. Chittella
– **Best Kannada Film:** *KGF: Chapter 2* by Prashanth Neel
– **Best Malayalam Film:** *Saudi Vellakka CC 225/2009* by Tharun Moorthy
– **Best Marathi Film:** *Vaalvi* by Paresh Mokashi
– **Best Tiwa Film:** *Sikaisal* by Dr. Bobby Sarma Baruah
– **Best Odia Film:** *Daman* by Vishal Mourya and Debi Prasad Lenka
– **Best Punjabi Film:** *Baghi Di Dhee* by Mukesh Gautam
– **Best Tamil Film:** *Ponniyin Selvan Part 1* by Mani Ratnam
– **Best Telugu Film:** *Karthikeya 2* by Chandoo Mondeti
– **Best Film in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic:** *Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva* by Ayan Mukherji
– **Best Feature Film promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values:** *Kutch Express* by Viral Shah
### Recognition in Non-Feature Film Category:
– **Best Non-Feature Film:** *Ayena* by Siddhant Sarin
– **Best Documentary:** *Murmurs of the Jungle* by Sahil Vaidya
– **Best Non-Feature Film Direction:** Miriam Chandy Menacherry for *From The Shadow*
– **Best Script:** Koushik Sarkar for *Mono No Aware*
– **Best Narration/Voice Over:** Sumant Shinde for *Murmurs Of The Jungle*
– **Best Animated Film:** *A Coconut Tree* by Joshy Benedict
– **Best Editing:** Suresh URS for *Madhyantara*
– **Best Sound Design:** Manas Choudhury for *Yaan*
– **Best Cinematography:** Siddharth Diwan for *Mono No Aware*
– **Best Short Film:** *Xunyota* by Nabapan Deka
– **Best Debut Film of a Director:** Basti Dinesh Shenoy for *Madhyantara*
– **Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction:** Vishal Bharadwaj for *Fursat*
– **Best Arts and Culture Film:** *Ranga Vibhoga* by Suneel Narasimhachar Puranik and *Varsa* by Sachin Balasaheb Suryawanshi
– **Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction/Compilation Film:** *Aanaki Ek Mohenjo Daro* by Ashok Rane
– **Best Non-Feature Film Promoting Social and Environmental Values:** *On The Brink Season 2: Gharial* by Akansha Sood Singh
– **Special Mention:** *Birubala* by Aimee Baruah and *Hargila – The Greater Adjutant Stork* by Partha Sarathi Mahant
### Excellence in Cinema Literature
– **Best Book On Cinema:** *Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography* by Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Parthiv Dhar
– **Best Film Critic:** Deepak Dua (Hindi)
The 70th National Film Awards have truly celebrated the spectrum of talent and creativity within the Indian film industry. Honoring both technical prowess and storytelling prowess, these awards have showcased the dedication of filmmakers, actors, and technicians, making it a memorable event in the annals of Indian cinema.
