The 70th National Film Awards winners were announced in a grand celebration of Indian cinema, with regional films taking center stage. The prestigious event, held by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, honored films certified by the censor board between January 1 and December 31, 2022. Despite the pandemic-related delays, the awards returned in full force, acknowledging outstanding work across Indian languages and genres.

Best Actor: Victory for Rishab Shetty for Kantara

The biggest applause of the evening was when Rishab Shetty received the Best Actor award for his endearing performance in the Kannada film Kantara. Shetty, who also directed the film, created magic on screen with the tale of a village guard steeped in folklore and tradition. Kantara continued to win the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment—a big moment for Kannada cinema on the national stage.

Best Feature Film: Aattam Steals Limelight

One of the biggest awards, Best Feature Film, was bagged by Aattam: The Play, a Malayalam language drama that everyone talked about. The film also bagged two other awards for Best Editing by Mahesh Bhuvanend and Best Screenplay by Anand Ekarshi. The success of Aattam reflects the rising regional cinema in India, which was repeated several times during the evening.

Best Actress: A Shared Honour

The Best Actress award went to two supremely talented actresses hailing from totally different corners of the country. Nithya Menen took the award home for her role in Thiruchitrambalam, while Manasi Parekh shared the award for her performance in Kutch Express. This was in recognition of their highly intriguing portrayals of strong, multithreaded women.

Sooraj Barjatya Wins Best Director

Finally, veteran Hindi filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya was best rewarded for direction for Uunchai: Zenith this poignant story that not only marked his return to form after years of family dramas but also earned Neena Gupta her Best Supporting Actress award. The standing of this film was further cemented as one of the best this year.

KGF 2 and Ponniyin Selvan I: Big Win for Tamil and Kannada Films

South Indian cinema continued its domination with the many award-winning KGF: Chapter 2 and Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1. Mega-hit KGF 2 pocketed Best Action Direction and Best Kannada Film, while Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1 clinched the Best Tamil Film, Best Cinematography by Ravi Varman, and Best Sound Design. The haunting background score in Ponniyin Selvan also fetched A.R. Rahman the Best Music Director (Background Music) award, another feather in his glittering career.

Brahmastra: A Technical Marvel and Musical Triumph

The blockbuster Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva, too, had its time under the sun with a few awards for its technical and musical brilliance. The film went ahead and won the Best Film award in the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comic) category. It brought home a host of VFX innovations as well. Apart from this, Pritam bagged the Best Music Director for his very fine composition as Arijit Singh won Best Male Playback Singer for the love tune Kesariya. Brahmastra became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2022 and the fifth highest-grossing Indian film that year, proving its unparalleled and unprecedented run at the box office.

Other Glimmerings

Best Supporting Actor: Pawan Malhotra was given for his captivating performance in the Haryanvi film Fouja which also received the Best Debut Film award.

Best Hindi Film: Gulmohar, with strong acts by Manoj Bajpayee backed by a strong screenplay, took home the Best Hindi Film.

Best Debut Film: Fouja has been praised for its theatrics and original storyline by Pramod Kumar.

Non-Feature Film

The Best Non-Feature Film in the non-feature film category was Ayena: Mirror in Hindi/Urdu, while the Best Documentary went to Murmurs of the Jungle. In terms of music direction, it went to the short film Fursat directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

Celebrating Cinema’s Rich Legacy

Presented as usual, the National Film Awards continue celebrating the best of Indian Cinema, honing legends, debutants, and creative teams across the country. The awards set up back in 1954, are conducted by the Directorate of Film Festivals. It has awarded some exquisite films, from the very first Best Feature Film, Marathi movie Shyamchi Aai, to Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan, which, to date, remains the most awarded film at the ceremony, having won eight awards in 2002 alone. It also places much emphasis on regional cinema while showcasing the most coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement, with the last going to legendary Waheeda Rehman.

The 70th National Film Awards has thus sealed the growth and strength of regional and mainstream cinema by celebrating new and established talents across the country.

List of Key Winners:

Best Feature Film: Aattam (Malayalam)
Best Actor: Rishab Shetty (Kantara)
Best Actress: Nithya Menen (Thiruchitrambalam), Manasi Parekh (Kutch Express)
Best Director: Sooraj Barjatya (Uunchai: Zenith)
Best Supporting Actress: Neena Gupta (Uunchai: Zenith)
Best Supporting Actor: Pawan Malhotra (Fouja)
Best Popular Film: Kantara
Best Music Director: Pritam (Songs), A.R. Rahman (Background Score)
Best Male Playback Singer: Arijit Singh (Kesariya, Brahmastra)
Best Film in AVGC: Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva