The national awards have a six decade long legacy for encouraging the best quality Indian cinema. Amongst a lot of film awards mushrooming in the country, this top honor has maintained its reputation while celebrating Indian cinema.
But this time, Bollywood brigade sweeps national awards by bagging the major awards. The award list has almost all commercial films as winners and films of regional language or independent films are slammed below the line which is quite shocking for cine buffs as for years Bollywood has overshadowed various indie and regional films. The 63rd national awards looks quite dominated with the box office success.
Baahubali, the biggest show of the year and the most expensive film has been declared as best feature film with citation: A creative film, monumental by its production values and cinematic vividness in creating a fantasy world on screen. The film features Prabhas, Rana Duggabati and Tammanah. This is the first telagu film to win the national award for best feature film. It has also got the award for best Vfx, which is well deserved but best film is quite unexpected.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is declared as the best director for his periodic epic Bajirao Mastani for the masterful handling of all aspects of the medium of cinema to lace a tragic love story within a grand historic tragedy.
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Masaan, which was the best critically acclaimed movie, screened and won in prestigious Cannes film festival has to stay satisfied with Indira Gandhi award for best debut film of a director. Produced by Phantom films, Neeraj got award for his perceptive approach to film making in successfully handling a layered story of people caught up altering social and moral values.
The other awards include: Amitabh Bachchan – Best Actor (Piku). Senior Bachchan got Rajat Kamal for playing a pleasant, delectable man who finally lets himself go at the age of 70.
Kangana Ranaut – Best actress (Tanu weds Manu returns). The Queen has again proved herself by winning this award for her vibrant portrayal of two contrast characters, weaved with mirth and charm.
Samuthirakani – Best supporting actor (Visaaranai). For minimalistic yet bleak and lively performance as a cop, caught in moral dilemma.
Tanvi Azmi – Best supporting actress (Bajirao Mastani). For her powerful depiction of a royal widow caught in the vortex of love for her son and promise to the clan.
Gaurav Menon – Best child artist (Ben). For outstanding performance showing a wide spectrum of emotions of a boy going through great chaos.
Best playback singers male and female are Mahesh Kale and Monali Thakur respectively. Best cinematographer is Sudeep Chaterjee for Bajirao Mastani, for bringing about and outstanding visual dynamics, depicting grand interiors of palaces and vast landscapes with an artistic interplay of lights and shadows. Whereas, the best screenplay award is shared by Juhi Chaturvedi and Himanshu Sharma for Piku and Tanu weds Manu returns respectively. Remo D’Souza is best choreographer for creating charming moves that express agony of love, defying social barriers in the film Bajirao Mastani.
Best feature films in different languages are:
Best Hindi Film: Dum Laga ke Haisha
Best Punjabi Film- Chauthi Koot
Best Marathi Film- Ringan
Best Bengali Film- Sankhachil
Best Sanskrit Film- Priyamanasam
Best Wancho Film- The Head Hunter
Best Tamil Film- Visaaranai
Best Telugu Film- Kanche
Best Kannada Film- Thithi
Best Assamese Film- Kothanodi
Best Malayalam Film- Pathemari
Best Maithili Film- Mithila Makhaan
Best Khasi Film- Onaatah
Best Manipuri Film- Eibusu Yaohanbiyu
Best Mizo Film- Kima’s Lode Beyond the Class
Best Konkani Film- Enemy
Best Odiya Film- Pahada Ra Luha
The short documentary which titles Amdavad ma famous has won the best non-feature film award. It is directed by Hardik Mehta. The film shows the transformation of a 11 year old boy next door to a crazy kite runner.
The book written by Doddahulluru Rukkoji titled ‘Dr. Rajkumar Samagra Charithre’, the biography of famous Kannada actor Rajkumar has won the award of Best Book on Cinema. This year Gujarat received a special award for being the most film friendly state.
