The 71st National Film Awards, honouring the finest cinematic achievements of 2023, were announced today at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. The jury, chaired by acclaimed filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, evaluated films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 and December 31, 2023. The list was submitted to the to Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry.
The awards highlighted a blend of mainstream blockbusters and critically acclaimed regional films, reflecting the vibrant tapestry of Indian storytelling. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail emerged as a standout, clinching the Best Feature Film award for its inspiring narrative. In a historic moment, Shah Rukh Khan won his first-ever National Award, sharing the Best Actor honour with Vikrant Massey for their performances in Jawan and 12th Fail, respectively. Rani Mukerji was awarded Best Actress for her powerful role in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, dedicating her win to mothers worldwide.
Regional cinema shone brightly, with Ullozhukku (Malayalam), Parking (Tamil), and Bhagavanth Kesari (Telugu) winning top honors in their respective language categories. The awards also celebrated technical excellence, with Animal earning accolades for sound design and Sam Bahadur for make-up and costume design. Debut director Ashish Bende was recognized for Aatmapamphlet (Marathi).
The ceremony underscored the National Film Awards’ commitment to honouring artistic merit over commercial success. Winners will be felicitated by the President of India at a later date in New Delhi. The announcement has sparked widespread celebrations among filmmakers, actors, and fans, reaffirming Indian cinema’s global resonance.
Complete List of Winners: 71st National Film Awards 2025
Feature Film Categories
* Best Feature Film: 12th Fail (Hindi), directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, produced by VC Films LLP
* Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Hindi), directed by Karan Johar
* Best Debut Film of a Director: Aatmapamphlet (Marathi), directed by Ashish Bende
* Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values: Sam Bahadur (Hindi)
* Best Children’s Film: Naal 2 (Marathi)
* Best Film in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comic): Hanu-Man (Telugu)
* Best Actor in a Leading Role (Shared):
* Shah Rukh Khan for Jawan (Hindi)
* Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail (Hindi)
* Best Actress in a Leading Role: Rani Mukerji for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (Hindi)
* Best Supporting Actor (Shared):
* Vijayaraghavan for Pookkaalam (Malayalam)
* Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar for Parking (Tamil)
* Best Supporting Actress (Shared):
* Urvashi for Ullozhukku (Malayalam)
* Janki Bodiwala for Vash (Gujarati)
* Best Child Artist (Shared):
* Sukriti Bandireddi for Gandhi Thatha Chettu
* Kabir Khandare for Gypsy
* Treesha Toshar for Naal 2 (Marathi)
* Shrinivas Pokale for Naal 2 (Marathi)
* Bhargav for Naal 2 (Marathi)
* Best Director: Sudipto Sen for The Kerala Story (Hindi)
* Best Telugu Film: Bhagavanth Kesari
* Best Tamil Film: Parking
* Best Punjabi Film: Godday Godday Chaa
* Best Odia Film: Pushkara
* Best Marathi Film: Shyamchi Aai
* Best Malayalam Film: Ullozhukku
* Best Kannada Film: Kandeelu: The Ray of Hope
* Best Hindi Film: Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery, directed by Yashowardhan Mishra, produced by Netflix Entertainment Services Pvt Ltd, Balaji Telefilms Ltd, and Sikhya Entertainment Pvt Ltd
* Best Gujarati Film: Vash
* Best Bengali Film: Deep Fridge
* Best Assamese Film: Rangatapu 1982
* Best Tai Phake Film: Pai Tang…Step of Hope
* Best Action Direction: Hanu-Man (Telugu)
* Best Choreography: Vaibhavi Merchant for Dhindhora Baje Re from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Hindi)
* Best Lyrics: Balagam (Telugu)
* Best Music Direction (Songs): GV Prakash Kumar for Vaathi (Tamil)
* Best Music Direction: Pranil Desai for The First Film (Hindi)
* Best Make-up: Sam Bahadur (Hindi)
* Best Costume Designer: Sam Bahadur (Hindi)
* Best Production Designer: 2018: Everyone is a Hero (Malayalam)
* Best Editing: Niladri Roy for Moving Focus (English)
* Best Editing (Malayalam): Pookkaalam
* Best Sound Design: Animal (Hindi)
* Best Cinematography: Prasantanu Mohapatra for The Kerala Story (Hindi)
* Best Female Playback Singer: Shilpa Rao for Chaliya from Jawan (Hindi)
* Best Male Playback Singer: PVN S Rohit for Premisthunna from Baby (Telugu)
* Special Mention (Feature Film): M R Radhakrishnan for Animal (Re-recording Mixer, Hindi)
Non-Feature Film Categories
* Best Non-Feature Film (Swarna Kamal): Flowering Man, directed by Soumyajit Ghosh Dastidar
* Best Director: Piyush Thakur for The First Film (Hindi)
* Best Cinematography: Saravanamaruthu Soundarapandi and Meenakshi Soman for Little Wings (Tamil)
* Special Mention: Nekal – Chronicle of the Paddy Man, directed by M K Ramadas
