The much-anticipated winners of the 70th National Film Awards were finally announced by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on a celebratory Friday. Eligible for recognition were films released in the year 2022, a timeline dictated by the pandemic that has shifted the awards back by a year. This annual event, although delayed, was awaited eagerly by cinephiles and the film fraternity alike for its recognition of stellar contributions to Indian cinema.
The jury for the 70th National Film Awards 2024 was an esteemed panel of industry experts. Rahul Rawail served as the Chairperson of the Feature Film Jury, Nila Madhab Panda chaired the Non-Feature Film Jury, and Mr. Gangadhar Mudalair was the Chairperson of the Best Writing on Cinema Jury.
In the feature film category, the top honor of Best Film was awarded to “Aattam,” directed by Aanand Ekarshi, who also clinched the Best Screenplay award for the film. As for Best Direction, the accolade went to Sooraj R Barjatya for his touching and uplifting work in “Uunchai.” “Kantara,” directed by Rishab Shetty, received the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
The spotlight also shone brightly on newcomers, with Pramod Kumar receiving the Best Debut Film of a Director for “Fouja.” In the acting categories, Rishabh Shetty was honored with the Best Actor award for “Kantara,” while Nithya Menen for “Thiruchitrambhalam” and Manasi Parekh for “Kutch Express” shared the Best Actress award.
In the supporting roles, Pavan Raj Malhotra won Best Supporting Actor for “Fouja,” and Neena Gupta’s compelling performance in “Uunchai” earned her Best Supporting Actress. The Best Child Artist award was garnered by Sreepath for his role in “Malikappuram.”
Technical expertise was also celebrated with the Best Cinematography award going to Ravi Varman for his breathtaking visuals in “Ponniyin Selvan 1.” Distinguished screenplay and dialogue work were acknowledged with Anand Ekarshi’s screenplay for “Aattam” and the dialogues of Arpita Mukherjee and Rahul V Chittela’s “Gulmohar.”
Design and music categories saw Ananda Addhya winning Best Production Design for “Aparajito” and Somnath Kundu taking the Best Make-Up Artist award for the same film.
. Niki Joshi was celebrated for Best Costume Design for “Kutch Express.” Pritam’s musical talents in “Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva” earned him Best Music Direction for Songs, while A.R. Rahman’s enchanting background scores in “Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1” took home the award for Best Music Direction for Background Scores.
The best lyricist was Naushad Sadar Khan for ‘Salaami’ in “Fouja,” while Arijit Singh continued to mesmerize audiences, winning Best Male Playback Singer for ‘Kesariya’ from “Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva.” Bombay Jayashri’s soulful rendition in ‘Chaayum Veyil’ from “Saudi Vellakka CC 225/2009” earned her Best Female Playback Singer. Choreography was no stranger to acknowledgment, with Jani Master and Sathish Krishnan recognized for ‘Megham Karukatha’ in “Thiruchitrambalam.”
In sound and editing excellence, Anand Krishnamoorthy received Best Sound Design for “Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1,” while Mahesh Bhuvanend was honored with Best Editing for “Aattam.”
Special Jury Awards were granted to Manoj Bajpayee for his performance in “Gulmohar” and Sanjoy Chowdhury for “Kadhikan.”
Regional cinema was represented with accolades for Best Assamese Film (“Emuthi Puthi” by Kulanandini Mahanta), Best Bengali Film (“Kaberi Antardhan” by Kaushik Gangula), among others, showcasing India’s rich and diverse cinematic masterpieces.
In the non-feature film category, “Ayena” by Siddhant Sarin won Best Non-Feature Film, while Sahil Vaidya’s “Murmurs of the Jungle” garnered the Best Documentary award. Miriam Chandy Menacherry took home Best Non-Feature Film Direction for “From The Shadow,” and the best script award went to Koushik Sarkar for “Mono No Aware.”
Wrapping up the accolades in non-feature films, awards were given across various categories such as Best Narration/Voice Over (Sumant Shinde for “Murmurs of the Jungle”), Best Animated Film (“A Coconut Tree” by Joshy Benedict), and Best Arts and Culture Film (tie between “Ranga Vibhoga” and “Varsa”).
Special Mention was given to “Birubala” by Aimee Baruah and “Hargila – The Greater Adjutant Stork” by Partha Sarathi Mahant for their significant contributions.
For the category of Best Writing on Cinema, the honor of Best Book On Cinema was awarded to “Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography” by Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Parthiv Dhar, and the Best Film Critic was Deepak Dua (Hindi).
The 70th National Film Awards not only celebrated the artistic and technical prowess of Indian cinema but also highlighted the dedication and hard work of filmmakers and artists in the face of unprecedented challenges, maintaining the rich tapestry of storytelling across the nation.
