• Tamil film ‘Soorarai Pottru’ won the National Award for Best Feature, Best Actor and Best Actress at the 68th National Film Awards for 2020 announced on July 22.

• The second big winner was Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ which bagged the awards for Best Actor and Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

• Suriya (Soorarai Pottru) and Ajay Devgn (Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior) shared the Best Actor award, and Aparna Murali (Soorarai Pottru) won the award for Best Actress.

• The late Malayalam filmmaker Sachidanandan K.R (Sachi) was posthumously named Best Director for ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’, which took home three more awards — Best Supporting Actor for Biju Menon, Best Action Direction (Stunt Choreography) and Best Playback Female Singer for Nanchamma. 

• Directed by Om Raut, ‘Tanhaji’ is based on the life of Tanaji Malusare, the military leader of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s army. Set in the 17th century, the film also won the Best Costume Designer for Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla.

• ‘Soorarai Pottru’ is inspired by the life of Air Deccan founder Capt G.R. Gopinath.

• In the Non-Feature category, Sachin Dheeraj Mundigonda of ‘Testimony of Ana’ won the top award of the Best Non-Feature Film.

• The prize for the Most Film Friendly state went to Madhya Pradesh, with Special Mention for Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

• Author Kishwar Desai’s ‘The Longest Kiss’, based on 10 years of research and 400 letters written by cinema icon Devika Rani, received the award for the Best Book on Cinema.

• The winners for the 68th National Film Awards were selected by the 10-member jury headed by Hindi filmmaker Vipul Shah. The awards were announced by jury member Dharam Gulati.

Complete list of winners

Non-Feature Films

• Best narration/voice over - Shobha Tharoor Sreenivasan

Film: Rhapsody of Rains-Monsoons of Kerala (English)

• Best Music Direction - Vishal Bhardwaj

Film: 1232 Kms: Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar (Hindi)

• Best Editing - Anadi Athaley

Film: Borderlands (Bengali, Nepali Manipuri, Hindi & Punjabi)

• Best On-Location Sound Recordist - Sandip Bhati & Pradeep Lekhwar

Film: Jadui Jangal (Hindi)

• Best Audiography - Pearl of the Desert (Rajasthani)

Re-recordist (final mixed track): Ajit Singh Rathore

• Best Cinematography - Nikhil S. Praveen

Film: Shabdikkunna Kalappa (Malayalam)

• Best Direction - R.V. Ramani

Film: Oh That’s Bhanu (English, Tamil, Malayalam & Hindi)

• Best Film On Family Values - Kumkumarchan (Marathi)

Director:  Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi

• Best Short Fiction Film - Kachichinithu (Karbi)

Producer & Director:  Khanjan Kishore Nath

• Special Jury Award - Admitted (Hindi & English)

Director: Ojaswee Sharma

• Best Investigative Film - The Saviour: Brig.Pritam Singh (Punjabi)

Director: Dr. Paramjeet Singh Kattu

• Best Exploration /Adventure Film (to include  sports) - Wheeling the Ball (English & Hindi)

Director: Mukesh Sharma

• Best Educational Film - Dreaming of  Words (Malayalam)

Producer & Director:  Nandan

• Best Film On Social Issues - Justice Delayed but Delivered (Hindi)

&

Three Sisters (Bengali)

• Best Environment Film - Manah Aru Manuh (Assamese)

Director: Dip Bhuyan

• Best Promotional Film - Surmounting Challenges (English)

Director: Satish Pande

• Best Science And Technology Film - On the Brink Season 2 - Bats (English)

Director: Akanksha Sood Singh

• Best Arts And Culture Film - Naadada Navaneeta DR PT Venkateshkumar

(Kannada)

Director: Girish Kasaravalli

• Best Biographical Film - Pabung Syam (Manipuri)

Director: Haobam Paban Kumar

• Best Ethnographic Film - Mandal ke Bol (Hindi)

Director: Rajendra Janglay

• Best Debut Non-Feature Film of a Director - Pariah (Marathi and Hindi)

Director: Vishesh Iyer

• Best Non-Feature Film - Testimony of Ana (Dangi)

Producer & Director:  Sachin Dheeraj Mundigonda

Feature Films Results

 

Special Jury Mention

Films:  

• Semkhor (Dimasa)

Actress - Aimee Baruah

• Vaanku (Malayalam)

Director - Kavya Prakash

• June (Marathi)

Actor - Siddharth Menon

• Godakaath (Marathi) & Avwanchhit (Marathi)

Actor - Kishore Kadam

• Toolsidas Junior (Hindi)

Child Actor - Varun Buddhadev

Best Feature Film in each of the languages other than those specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution

• Best Haryanvi Film - Dada Lakhmi

• Best Dimasa Film - Semkhor

• Best Tulu Film - Jeetige

Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution

• Best Telugu Film - Colour Photo

• Best Tamil Film - Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum

• Best Malayalam Film - Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam

• Best Marathi Film - Goshta Eka Paithanichi  

• Best Kannada Film - Dollu

• Best Hindi Film - Toolsidas Junior

• Best Bengali Film - Avijatrik

• Best Assamese Film - Bridge

• Best Action Direction Award (Stunt Choreography) - Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)

Stunt Choreography: Rajasekhar, Mafia Sasi & Supreme Sunder

• Best Choreography - Sandhya Raju

Film: Natyam (Telugu)

• Best Lyrics - Manoj Muntashir

Film: Saina (Hindi)

• Best Music Direction - Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Telugu)

Music Director (Songs): Thaman S

• Music Director (Background Score) - G.V.Prakash Kumar (Soorarai Pottru)

• Best Make-up Artist - T.V. Rambabu

Film: Natyam (Telugu)

• Best Costume Designer - Nachiket Barve & Mahesh Sherla

Film: Tanhaji :The Unsung Warrior (Hindi)

• Best Production Design - Anees Nadodi

Film: Kappela (Malayalam)

• Best Editing - Sreekar Prasad

Film: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum (Tamil)

• Best Audiography -

Dollu (Kannada)

Location Sound Recordist (for sync sound films only) :  Jobin Jayan

Mi Vasantrao (Marathi)

Sound Designer : Anmol Bhave

Malik (Malayalam)

Re-recordist of the final mixed track: Vishnu Govind & Sree Sankar

• Best Screenplay - Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)

Screenplay writer (original): Shalini Usha Nair & Sudha Kongara

Mandela (Tamil)

Dialogue Writer: Madonne Ashwin

• Best Cinematography - Supratim Bhol

Film: Avijatrik (Bengali)

• Best Female Playback Singer - Nanchamma

Film: Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)

• Best Male Playback Singer - Rahul Deshpande

Film: Mi Vasantrao (Marathi)

• Best Child Artist - Tak-Tak (Marathi)

Child Artist: Anish Mangesh Gosavi

& Sumi (Marathi)

Child Artist: Akanksha Pingle & Divyesh Indulkar

• Best Supporting Actress - Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli

Film: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum (Tamil)

• Best Supporting Actor - Biju Menon

Film: Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)

• Best Actress - Aparrna Balamurali

Film: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)

• Best Actor - Suriya - Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)

& Ajay Devgn - Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi)

• Best Direction - Sachidanandan K.R.

Film: Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)

• Best Children’s Film - Sumi (Marathi)

Director: Amol Vasant Gole

• Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation - Taledanda (Kannada)

Director: Praveen Krupakar

• Best Film on Social Issues - Funeral (Marathi)

Director: Vivek Dubey

• Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment - Tanhaji :The Unsung Warrior (Hindi)

Director: Om Raut

• Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director - Madonne Ashwin 

Film: Mandela (Tamil)

• Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)

Director: Sudha Kongara.