By
Tanveer Zaidi (Actor–Author–Educationist)
The 71st National Film Awards for the year 2023 were announced on August 1 in New Delhi, bringing a celebratory wave across the Indian film industry.
At a press conference held by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker unveiled the winners, with Bollywood leading the charge in major categories.
For the first time in his illustrious three-decade-long career, superstar Shah Rukh Khan was honoured with the Best Actor Award for his powerhouse performance in ‘Jawan’, a high-octane action drama that resonated with audiences nationwide.
He shares the honour with Vikrant Massey, who won the same award for his heart-rending portrayal in ‘12th Fail’, a film inspired by the real-life story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma.
Meanwhile, Rani Mukerji was crowned Best Actress for her emotionally charged role in ‘Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway’, a film based on a real-life custody battle between an Indian mother and the Norwegian government. This also marked Rani’s first National Award, adding a prestigious milestone to her already stellar career.
12th Fail Triumphs Big
Beyond Vikrant Massey’s acting accolade, ‘12th Fail’ was also adjudged the Best Feature Film of the year, winning accolades for its realistic storytelling and social relevance. Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the film has been praised for its raw depiction of struggles faced by students preparing for India’s toughest civil service exams.
The Kerala Story Makes Its Mark
Sudipto Sen bagged the Best Director award for his controversial yet impactful film ‘The Kerala Story’, which also received recognition for Best Cinematography (Prasanthanu Mohapatra). The film courted debates but was commended for its narrative strength and technical brilliance.
Entertainment Meets Excellence
Karan Johar’s ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. The film, with its colourful storytelling and intergenerational message, combined commercial success with critical acclaim.
Vaibhavi Merchant received the Best Choreography award for the energetic ‘Dhindhora Baaje Re’ track from the same film.
Diverse Cinema, Diverse Wins
- Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Sam Bahadur’, a biopic on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, received the award for the Best Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values. It also triumphed in technical categories — Best Make-Up (Shrikant Desai) and Best Costume Design (Sachin, Divya, Nidhi).
- The Best Hindi Film went to ‘Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery’, a satirical crime drama starring Sanya Malhotra, produced by Netflix, Guneet Monga, and Ekta Kapoor, and directed by Yashwardhan Mishra, co-written with his father, Ashok Mishra.
- Shilpa Rao was named Best Female Playback Singer for her soulful rendition of ‘Chaleya’ from Jawan, while Rohit won Best Male Playback Singer for ‘Premisthunna’ from the Telugu film Baby.
Regional Cinema: A Powerhouse of Talent
Regional films dominated technical and supporting performance categories:
- ‘Parking’ (Tamil) and ‘Baby’ (Telugu) jointly won Best Screenplay. Parking also clinched Best Tamil Film and Best Supporting Actor for M.S. Bhaskar, who shared the award with Vijayaraghavan (Pookkaalam, Malayalam).
- Best Supporting Actress was a tie between Urvashi (Ullozhukku, Malayalam) and Janki Bodiwala (Vash, Gujarati). Vash also won Best Gujarati Film.
- Best Dialogues were awarded to Deepak Kingrani for ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’, a legal drama starring Manoj Bajpayee.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Animal’ Garners Technical Acclaim
The much-talked-about ‘Animal’, starring Ranbir Kapoor, earned two awards:
- Best Background Score: Harshavardhan Rameshwar
- Best Sound Design: Sachin Sudhakaran and Hariharan Muralidharan
It also received a special mention for Re-Recording (M.R. Rajakrishnan).
Emerging Talent Recognized
- Ashish Bende won the Best Debut Director award for his Marathi film ‘Aatmapamphlet’.
- Nandu Prudhvi bagged Best Action for ‘HanuMan’, which also secured the award for Best Film in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics).
- G.V. Prakash Kumar won Best Music Director for the Malayalam film ‘Vaathi’.
- Kasarla Shyam earned Best Lyrics for ‘Ooru Palleturu’ from Balagam (Telugu).
- Mohandas took home the Best Production Design for the Malayalam film 2in 018.
- Midhun Murali won Best Editor for Pookkaalam (Malayalam).
Celebrating Young Talent
The Best Child Artist award was shared by:
- Sukriti Bandireddi (Gandhi Tatha Chettu, Telugu)
- Kabir Khandare (Gypsy, Marathi)
- Treesha Toshar, Shrinivas Pokale, Bhargav Jagtap (all for Naal 2, Marathi)
Naal 2 also won Best Children’s Film, affirming the rising quality of children’s cinema in India.
Language-wise Winners
- Best Punjabi Film: Godday Godday Chaa
- Best Marathi Film: Shyamchi Aai
- Best Malayalam Film: Pookkaalam
- Best Tamil Film: Parking
- Best Telugu Film: Baby
- Best Gujarati Film: Vash
- Best Hindi Film: Kathal
A Year of Milestones and Diversity
The 71st National Film Awards celebrated not just mainstream Bollywood blockbusters but also gave long-overdue recognition to regional gems, emerging talent, and socially significant cinema. It was a landmark year where Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Vikrant Massey won their first National Awards, and regional filmmakers earned their rightful space on the national stage.
The awards were presented to films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 and December 31, 2023.
#NationalFilmAwards2023 #SRK #RaniMukerji #VikrantMassey #Jawan #12thFail #MrsChatterjeeVsNorway #TheKeralaStory #RockyAurRani #SamBahadur #Kathal #Animal #BollywoodNews #IndianCinema #RegionalCinema #AwardWinners #BestActor #BestActress #IndianFilms #CinemaCelebration #TanveerZaidiWrites