National Film Awards 2022: The winners of the 68th National Film Awards were announced at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.

Key Highlights:

• The winners were announced by the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur on 22 July 2022.
• The event was organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, which comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• This year’s awards ceremony honoured films from 2020 as well due to COVID-19-related delays.
• Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) won three of the four biggest awards of the night, while Tanhaji The Unsung Warrior also took home major trophies.
• Actress Aparna Balamurali bagged the best actress award.

Full list of winners:

• Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru
• Best Director: Sachidanandan KR, Ayyappanum Koshiyum
• Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji
• Best Actor: Suriya for Soorarai Pottru and Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji
• Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali, Soorarai Pottru
• Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon, Ayyappanum Koshiyam
• Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli, Sivaranjaniyum Innam Sila Pengallum
• Best Action Direction Award: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum
• Best Choreography: Natyam (Telugu)
• Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for Saina (Hindi)
• Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao and Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Taktak
• Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma, Ayyappanum Koshiyam
• Best Music Direction: Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, S Thaman
• Best film on Social Issues: ‘Justice Delayed but Delivered & Three Sisters
• Best Choreography: Natyam
• Best Cinematography: Avijatrik
• Best Audiography: Dollu, Mi Vasantrao, and Malik
• Best Costume Design: Tanhaji
• Best Production Design: Kappela
• Best Editing: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
• Best Make-up: Natyam
• Best Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru, Sudha Kongara, and Mandela, Madonne Ashwin
• Best Stunt Choreography: Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Special Jury Award:

• Best Feature Film in Hindi: Toolsidas Junior
• Best Feature Film in Kannada: Dollu
• Best Feature Film in Malayalam: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam
• Best Feature Film in Tamil: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
• Best Feature Film in Telugu: Colour Photo
• Best Feature Film in Haryanvi: Dada Lakhmi
• Best Feature Film in Dimasa: Samkhor
• Best Feature Film in Tulu: Jeetige

Feature Film Awards:

• Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior
• Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazcha Nishchayam
• Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo
• Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik
• Best Assamese Film: Bridge
• Best Tulu Film: Jeetige
• Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum
• Best Marathi Film: Gostha Eka Paithanichi
• Best Kannada Film: Dollu
• Best Dimasa Film: Semkhor
• Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi

Non-Feature Films:

• Best Film on Family Values: Kumkumarchan, Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi
• Best Direction: Oh That’s Bhanu, RV Ramani
• Best Music Direction: 1232 kms – Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar, Vishal Bhardwaj
• Best Cinematography: Sabdikunna Kalappa, Nikhil S Praveen
• Best Audiography: Pearl of the Desert, Ajit Singh Rathore
• Best Editing: Borderlands, Anadi Athaley
• Best Narration Voiceover: Rhapsody of Rains – Monsoons of Kerala, Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan
• Best On-Location Sound: Jadui Jangal, Sandeep Bhati, and Pradeep Lekhwar
• Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation
• Best Book on Cinema: The Longest Kiss by Kishwar Desai
• Best Book on Cinema (Special Mention): MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam, Anoop Ramakrishnan, and Kali Paine Kalira Cinema by Surya Deo
• Best Film Critic: No winner this year.
• Most Film Friendly State: Madhya Pradesh

Other Awards:

• Madhya Pradesh (Rajat Kamal & Certificate) wins the Most Film Friendly State award while Uttarakhand (Certificate) and Uttar Pradesh (Certificate) get Special Mention.
• ‘The Longest Kiss’ by Kishwar Desai wins Best Book on Cinema for the year while Malayalam book ‘MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam’ and Odia book ‘Kali Paine Kalira Cinema’ win special mention.

About the National Film Awards:

• The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India.
• It was established in 1954.
• The ceremony has been administered by the Indian Directorate of Film Festivals, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.
• The Government of India (GoI) conceived the ceremony to honour films made across India, on a national scale, to encourage the furthering of Indian art and culture.
• The National films Awards are awarded for excellence in cinematic achievements for Indian cinema.
• The National Film Awards are presented in three main categories:

1. Feature Films
2. Non-Feature Films
3. Best Writing on Cinema

• Six categories from the Feature Films section, two from Non-Feature Films and Best Writing on Cinema sections each have been made eligible for Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus Award) and rest of the categories for Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus Award).
• In addition, a lifetime achievement award, named after the father of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke, is awarded to a film personality for the outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.
• All the award winners are awarded a Medallion, cash prize and a certificate of merit.
• The juries are appointed by the Directorate of Film Festivals in India.
• Every year, a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry, and the award ceremony is held in New Delhi, where the President of India presents the awards.
• This prestigious National cinema awards hold the distinction of awarding merit to the best of Indian cinema overall, as well as presenting awards for the best films in each region and language of the country.