The 71st National Film Awards of 2025 finally shed a much-needed light on a few of the finest films and performances of the year 2023. Conducted at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi and chaired by President Droupadi Murmu, the ceremony awarded talent from all of India. Spanning from powerful acting performances and technical expertise, the awards honored the diversified palette of Indian films.
Film enthusiasts and fans eagerly awaited the announcement of the awards. In this article, we will discuss which actors and films were awarded at the 71st National Film Award. Check out the complete list of winners (retrieved via Mathrubhumi.com):
71st National Film Awards: Major Honors
- Best Actor: Vikrant Massey and Shah Rukh Khan both won the award for their respective performances in 12th Fail and Jawan. Both impressed fans with their characters and their added depth and detail.
- Best Actress: Rani Mukerji received the award for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, giving a performance that impressed critics and viewers equally.
- Best Feature Film: 12th Fail won the top honor and met with applause for its story and direction.
- Best Director: Sudipto Sen for The Kerala Story was awarded for his outstanding direction.
- Best Popular Film Provides Wholesome Entertainment: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani took home the award because of mass appeal.
- Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values: Vicky Kaushal-led Sam Bahadur
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Mohanlal, a seasoned actor, bagged the lifetime achievement award.
71st National Film Awards: Other Important Categories
- Best Documentary: God Vulture and Human by Rishiraj Agarwal
- Best Short Film: Giddh (The Scavenger) by Manish Saini
- Best Debut Film of a Director: Aatmapamphlet by Ashish Avinash Bende
- Best Children’s Film: Naal 2
- Best Child Artist: Sukriti Veni Bandreddi for Gandhi Tatha Chettu, Kabir Khandare for Gypsy, and Treesha Thosar, Shrinivas Pokale, Bhargav Jagtap for Naal 2.
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Vijayaraghavan for Pookkaalam and M. S. Bhaskar for Parking.
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Urvashi for Ullozhukku and Janki Bodiwala for Vash
- Best Film in AVGC (Best Visual Effects): HanuMan
71st National Film Awards: Regional Cinema Winners
The awards also highlighted regional talent:
- Best Hindi Film: Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery
- Best Telugu Film: Bhagavanth Kesari
- Best Tamil Film: Parking
- Best Kannada Film: Kandeelu: The Ray of Hope
- Best Gujarati Film: Vash
- Best Bengali Film: Deep Fridge
- Best Marathi Film: Shyamchi Aai
- Best Malayalam Film: Ullozhukku
- Best Assamese Film: Rongatapu 1982
- Best Odia Film: Pushkara
- Best Punjabi Film: Godday Godday Chaa
71st National Film Awards: Musical & Technical Honors
- Best Male Playback Singer: P.V.S.N. Rohit for Baby (Premisthunna)
- Best Female Playback Singer: Shilpa Rao for Jawan (Chaleya)
- Best Lyrics: Kasarla Shyam for Balgam
- Best Action Direction: Nandu-Prudhvi for HanuMan
- Best Cinematography: Prasanthanu Mohapatra for The Kerala Story
- Best Editing: Midhun Murali for Pookkaalam
- Best Screenplay: Sai Rajesh for Baby and Ramkumar Balakrishnan for Parking
- Best Dialogues: Deepak Kingrani for Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai
- Best Choreography: Vaibhavi Merchant for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Dhindhora Baje Re)
- Best Make-Up: Shrikant Desai for Sam Bahadur
- Best Costume Design: Sachin Lovalekar, Divvya Gambhir, Nidhhi Gambhir for Sam Bahadur
- Best Production Design: Mohandas for 2018
- Best Film Critic: Utpal Dutta (Assam)
The 71st edition of the National Film Awards is an ode to not just individual excellence but the entire talent pool of Indian films. With a mix of mainstream hits, big performances, and regional gems, the awards reflected the effervescent talent pool of the film world.
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