69th National Film Awards 2023 Winners

The 69th National Film Awards have finally been announced and the list of the main/popular awards is the most surprising! It’s almost as if they had teenagers choose the winners this year, it’s unbelievable. National Awards used to be prestigious but in the past few years, it seems to be something else at play here.

So the nominees included films between 2021 and 2022.

Here are the winners of the 69th National Film Awards 2023:

Best Feature Film: Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Best Director: Nikhil Mahajan, Godavari
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: RRR

Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: The Kashmir Files
Best Actor: Allu Arjun, Pushpa
Best Actress: Alia Bhatt, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kriti Sanon, Mimi
Best Supporting Actor: Pankaj Tripathi, Mimi
Best Supporting Actress: Pallavi Joshi, The Kashmir Files

Best Child Artist: Bhavin Rabari, Chhello Show
Best Screenplay (Original): Shahi Kabir, Nayattu
Best Screenplay (Adapted): Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Utkarshini Vashishtha, Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Dialogue Writer: Utkarshini Vashishtha & Prakash Kapadia, Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Music Director (Songs): Devi Sri Prasad, Pushpa
Best Music Direction (Background Music): MM Keeravaani, RRR
Best Male Playback Singer: Kaala Bhairava, RRR
Best Female Playback Singer: Shreya Ghoshal, Iravin Nizhal

Best Lyrics: Chandrabose, Konda Polam’s “Dham Dham Dham”
Best Hindi Film: Sardar Udham
Best Kannada Film: 777 Charlie
Best Malayalam Film: Home
Best Gujarati Film: Chhello Show
Best Tamil Film: Kadaisi Vivasayi
Best Telugu Film: Uppena
Best Maithili Film: Samanantar

Best Mishing Film: Boomba Ride
Best Marathi Film: Ekda Kaay Zala
Best Bengali Film: Kalkokkho
Best Assamese Film: Anur
Best Meiteilon Film: Eikhoigi Yum

Best Odiya Film: Pratikshya
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Meppadiyan, Vishnu Mohan
Best Film on Social Issues: Anunaad – The Resonance
Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation: Aavasavyuham
Best Children’s Film: Gandhi and Co
Best Audiography (Location Sound Recordist): Arun Asok & Sonu K P, Chavittu
Best Audiography (Sound Designer): Aneesh Basu, Jhilli
Best Audiography (Re-recordist of the final mixed track): Sinoy Joseph, Sardar Udham
Best Choreography: Prem Rakshith, RRR
Best Cinematography: Avik Mukhopadhyay, Sardar Udham
Best Costume Designer: Veera Kapur Ee, Sardar Udham
Best Special Effects: Srinivas Mohan, RRR
Best Production Design: Dmitrii Malich and Mansi Dhruv Mehta, Sardar Udham
Best Editing: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Make-up: Preetisheel Singh, Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Stunt Choreography: King Soloman, RRR
Special Jury Award: Shershaah, Vishnuvardhan

Special Mention: 1. Late Shri Nallandi, Kadaisi Vivasayi 2. Aranya Gupta & Bithan Biswas, Jhilli 3. Indrans, Home 4. Jahanara Begum, Anur
Best Non-feature film: Ek Tha Gaon
Best Direction (Non-feature film): Bakul Matiyani, Smile Please
Best Debut Non-Feature Film of a Director: Paanchika, Ankit Kothari
Best Anthropological Film: Fire on Edge
Best Biographical Film: Rukhu Matir Dukhu Majhi and Beyond Blast
Best Arts Films: T.N. Krishnan Bow Strings to Divine
Best Science & Technology Films: Ethos of Darkness
Best Promotional Film: Endangered Heritage ‘Warli Art’
Best Environment Film (Non-feature film): Munnam Valavu
Best Film on Social Issues (Non-feature film): Mithu Di and Three Two One
Best Investigative Film: Looking For Challan
Best Exploration Film: Ayushman
Best Educational Film: Sirpigalin Sirpangal
Best Short Fiction Film: Dal Bhat
Best Animation Film: Kandittundu
Best Film on Family Values: Chand Saanse
Best Cinematography (Non-feature film): Bittu Rawat, Pataal
Best Audiography (Re-recordist of the final mixed track) (Non-feature film): Unni Krishnan, Ek Tha Gaon
Best Production Sound Recordist (Location/Sync Sound) (Non-feature film): Suruchi Sharma, Meen Raag
Best Editing (Non-feature film): Abhro Banerjee, If Memory Serves Me Right
Best Music Direction (Non-feature film): Ishaan Divecha, Succulent
Best Narration/Voice Over (Non-feature film): Kulada Kumar Bhattacharjee, Hathibondhu
Special Mention (Non-feature film): 1. Aniruddha Jatkar, Baale Bangara, 2. Srikanth Deva, Karuvarai, 3. Sweta Kumar Das, The Healing Touch, 4. Ram Kamal Mukherjee, Ek Duaa
Special Jury Award (Non-feature film): Shekhar Bapu Rankhambe, Rekha
Best Book on Cinema: Music by Laxmikant Pyarelal: The Incredibly Melodious Journey by Rajiv Vijayakar
Best Film Critic: Purushothama Charyulu
Best Film Critic (Special Mention): Subramanya Badoor

Allu Arjun getting a National Award for ‘Pushpa’ doesn’t make sense! Sure, it was the most popular film of the pandemic but seriously? This makes him the first ever Telugu actor to win the best actor of the National Awards!

Alia Bhatt winning is fine but Kriti Sanon for ‘Mimi’, the one film where she did well on her own? It’s almost as if they are awarding actors for finally doing their job right, not for excelling at their job! It’s like when they gave Saif Ali Khan an award for finally acting well in ‘Hum Tum’.

What about ‘RRR’? The film literally created worldwide history!

Luckily it wasn’t the same winner this year in the best actress category. Most assumed it would be someone that the government favored, but that didn’t happen and obviously, she wouldn’t dare to call out the National Awards and say they were influenced by KJo or nepotism!

Speaking of KebabJo, he surely must be over the moon! The first National Award of his darling daughter, a party must be around the corner and praises will continue to happen for years to come. Get ready for it!

Congratulations to all the winners!

Alright, let’s hear it from you.

Are you disappointed with the results?

Who should have won instead?