Rocketry bags best feature, Kashmir Files best national integration film at National Awards

Three big-budget blockbusters – RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Sardar Udham — dominated the 69th National Film Awards announced on Thursday.

Three big-budget blockbusters – RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Sardar Udham — dominated the 69th National Film Awards announced on Thursday. The 11-member feature film jury headed by director Ketan Mehta awarded six statuettes to RRR, the 2021 Telugu biopic that won an Oscar for best song, and five each to the Bollywood movies Gangubai Kathiawadi and Sardar Udham.

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The awards were announced on Thursday, and will be presented to the winners at an official ceremony later in the year. “It was a very tough competition between all the films in every category. My congratulations and best wishes are with the winners,” Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said.

The best actor award was bagged by Telugu superstar Allu Arjun for playing a labourer-turned-mobster in Pushpa, and Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon shared the top honour for best actress for playing the titular characters in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi and Laxman Utekar’s Mimi. R Madhavan’s directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, which chronicled the life of former Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) scientist Nambi Narayanan, was declared the best feature film.

A political controversy broke out over the jury’s decision to bestow the Nargis Dutt award for best film on national integration to the Kashmir Files, which is based on the Kashmiri Pandit exodus from the Valley in the 1990s, but has also been criticised for being divisive. The film also won the best supporting actor award for Pallavi Joshi.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin said the dignity of the national awards should not be impacted for “cheap politics”. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah mocked the announcement.

The film’s director, Vivek Agnihotri, hit back at Abdullah. “This is the biggest award coming from you Omar Abdullah/ If you had commented otherwise, I would have been very disappointed,” he posted.

Shoojit Sircar’s biographical drama Sardar Udham was announced the winner in the Hindi Film category, and also for cinematography (Avik Mukhopadhyay), audiography (Sinoy Joseph), production design (Dmitrii Malich and Mansi Dhruv Mehta), and costume design (Veera Kapur).

RRR picked up the maximum number of awards, winning the popular film providing wholesome entertainment honour, along with best music direction by MM Keeravaani, best choreography by Prem Rakshith, best male playback singer by Kaala Bhairava, best special effects by Srinivas Mohan, and best stunt choreography by King Soloman.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Utkarshini Vashishtha shared the award for best screenplay (adapted) for Gangubai Kathiawadi. Vashistha and Prakash Kapadia also won the award for best dialogue. Bhansali was also named the best editor along with Shahi Kabir who won the best screenplay writer (original) for the Malayalam film Nayattu. Preetisheel Singh D’souza won the best make-up artist award for Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Shershaah, a film based on the late Vikram Batra, received the special jury award.

For his Marathi film, Godavari, Nikhil Mahajan won the best director award. The film tells the story of a family living on the banks of the Godavari river in Nashik.

Rakshit Shetty’s 777 Charlie emerged as the best Kannada film. Vishnu Mohan won the Indira Gandhi Award for best debut film of a director for his Malayalam film Meppadiyan.

Assamese film Anunaad - The Resonance was declared the best film on social issues. Aavasavyuham, a Malayalam film, was announced the best film on environment conservation/preservation. Gandhi&Co, a Gujarati film, was declared the best children’s film.

Bhavin Rabari was awarded the best child artist for his role in the Last Film Show (Chhello Show). Shreya Ghoshal won the best female playback singer for Iravin Nizhal (Shadow of the Night).

Movies such as Anur (Eyes on the Sunshine), Kalkokkho - House of Time, Sardar Udham, Last Film Show (Chello show), 777 Charlie, Samanantar (The Parallel), Ekda Kay Zala, Home, Eikhoigi Yum (Our Home), Pratikshya (The Wait), Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer), Uppena (Wave), Boomba Ride won awards in the language category as specified under Schedule VIII of the Constitution.

In the non-feature films category, Ek tha Gaon directed by Srishti Lakhera won the best non-feature film while Paanchika won the best debut non-feature film of a director. The best anthropological, arts, and science & technology films were bagged by Fire on Edge, T.N. Krishnan Bow Strings to Divine, and Ethos of Darkness respectively.

Other important awards in the non-feature category were won by Rukhu Matir Dukhu Majhi, Beyond Blast, Endangered Heritage ‘Warli Art’, Munnam Valavu, Mithu Di, Three Two One, Sirpigalin Sirpangal, Ayushman, Looking For Challan, Kandittundu, Rekha, Dal Bhat, Chand Saanse, Smile Please, Pataal - Tee, Meen Raag, If Memory Serves Me Right, Succelent, Hathibondhu. Special mentions were given to Baale Bangara, Karuvarai, The Healing Touch, and Ek Duaa.