National Film Awards 2023: Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon, Allu Arjun, and other big winners

Big winners at the National Film Awards 2023.

The pandemic served as a big hiccup for Indian cinema, but the audience’s love for films couldn’t keep them away for long. Both on Over-the-top (OTT) platforms and the big screens, the years 2021-22 have been an occasion to celebrate cinema. Films such as Gangubai Kathiawadi, Mimi, RRR, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, Pushpa, Kashmir Files, Sardar Udham, among others won the hearts of audiences. 

The winners list for the 69th National Film Awards was announced on August 24 at the National Media Center, New Delhi, and consists of best films across languages; best actors, actresses, and directors across categories; best music; best screenplay; best dialogues; choreography; cinematography, and various other categories.  

According to a press release by the Press Information Bureau, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said, “It was a very tough competition between all the films in every category. My congratulations and best wishes are with the winners. Today India is the largest filmmaker in the world. We have the potential to become the content hub of the world. This is our time. Today our films are being recognised all over the world, be it BAFTA or the Oscars.”

The Jury for the winner selection comprised eminent filmmakers and film personalities from across the Indian cine-world. The awards were announced by Ketan Mehta, chairperson, Feature Films Jury, Vasanth S Sai, chairperson, Non-feature Films Jury, Yatindra Mishra, and Neerja Sekhar.  

Here’s a list of some of the key winners at the National Film Awards 2023:

Best Actress: Alia Bhatt, Gangubai Kathiawadi; Kriti Sanon, Mimi

Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi; Kriti Sanon in Mimi

Gangubai Kathiawadi, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, released in February 2022 and featured Bhatt playing the role of Gangubai Kothewali, whose life is documented in the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai written by S Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges.

Mimi, directed by Laxman Utekar, released in July 2021 and featured Sanon who plays a young woman who reluctantly agrees to become a surrogate for a foreign couple. 

Best Actor: Allu Arjun, Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1

Allu Arjun in Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1

Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1 released in 2021 in Telugu along with dubbed versions in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi languages. The film, directed by Sukumar, features Arjun as a labourer who rises in the world of red sandalwood smuggling and becomes a big name in the underworld.

Best Feature Film: Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect poster.

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, R Madhavan’s directorial debut, released in July 2022 and is based on the life of Indian Space Research Organization scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was framed for being a spy and arrested in 1994.

Best Director: Nikhil Mahajan, Godavari

Nikhil Mahajan, director. Image: Amazon

Godavari is a 2021 Indian Marathi-language drama film directed by Nikhil Mahajan who has previously directed films like Pune-52, Baji, and a few episodes of the TV series Betaal.

Best Screenplay (Adapted): Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Utkarshini Vashishtha, Gangubai Kathiawadi

Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Utkarshini Vashishtha, screenplay writer, Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Utkarshini Vashishtha adapted the screenplay of the film Gangubai Kathiawadi from Mafia Queens of Mumbai written by S Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges, which features 13 stories of women from the ganglands, one of which is Gangubai’s story.

Best Music Direction: MM Keeravaani, RRR

MM Keeravaani, music composer, record producer, singer and lyricist.

MM Keeravaani, who recently won an Oscar for the film RRR, has a number of awards to his name, including eight Filmfare Awards, two National Film Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, among others.