68th National Film Awards: Soorarai Pottru wins big; Suriya, Ajay Devgn, Aparna Balamurali named best actors

The 68th National Awards for films that were submitted to the board in 2020 were announced on Friday at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. The awards were organised and announced by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation that comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
 
This year, Soorarai Pottru emerged the winner with five awards under its belt: Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay (Sudha Kongara), Best Background Score (GV Prakash Kumar), Best Actor (Suriya), and Best Actress (Aparna Balamurali).
 
Actor Ajay Devgn shared the title of Best Actor with Suriya for his performance in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior.
 
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior also bagged the second highest number of awards, with three titles in its kitty: Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Actor, and Best Costume Designer.
 
Meanwhile, Mandela bagged two awards: Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director and Best Screenplay (Madoone Ashwin).

Also read: 67th National Film Awards: Actors Dhanush, Manoj Bajpayee bag the Best Actor award; Kangana Ranaut wins Best Actress
 
Find the full list of winners below:
 
Most Film Friendly State: Madhya Pradesh (Special mention to Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh)
 
Best book on cinema: The Longest Kiss by Kishwar Desai
 
Best book on cinema (Special Mention): MIT Anubhavangalude Pusthakam, Kali Paine Kalira Cinema
 
FEATURE FILMS:

Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli for Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum (Tamil)
 
Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon for AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
 
Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali for Soorarai Pottru
 
Best Actor: Suriya for Soorarai Pottru, Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
 
Best Direction: Sachidanandan KR for AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
 
Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo
 
Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum
 
Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazcha Nishchayam
 
Best Marathi Film: Gostha Eka Paithanichi
 
Best Kannada Film: Dollu
 
Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior
 
Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik
 
Best Assamese Film: Bridge

Also read: Soorarai Pottru breaks the awards jinx; Suriya wins the Best Actor award for a feature film at IFFM

Best Action Direction Award: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum
 
Best Choreography: Natyam (Telugu)
 
Best Lyrics: Saina (Hindi)
 
Best Music Direction (Songs): Thaman S for Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Telugu)
 
Best Music Director (Background Score): GV Prakash Kumar for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)
 
Best Make-up Artist: TV Rambabu for Natyam (Telugu)
 
Best Costume Designer: Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi)
 
Best Production Design: Anees Nadodi for Kappela (Malayalam)
 
Best Editing: Sreekar Prasad for Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum (Tamil)
 
Best Audiography: Jobin Jayan for Dollu (Kannada), Anmol Bhave for Mi Vasantrao (Marathi), Vishnu Govind and Sree Sankar for Malik (Malayalam)
 
Best Tulu Film: Jeetige
 
Best Dimasa Film: Semkhor
 
Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi
 
Special mentions: Vaanku (Malayalam), June (Marathi), Avwanchhit (Marathi) and Godakaath (Marathi), Toolsidas Junior (Hindi)
 
Best Screenplay: Shalini Usha Nair and Sudha Kongara for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil), Madonne Ashwin for Mandela (Tamil)
 
Best Cinematography: Supratim Bhol for Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu) (Bengali)
 
Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma for AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
 
Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao (Marathi)
 
Best Child Artist: Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Tak-Tak (Marathi), Akanksha Pingle and Divyesh Indulkar for Sumi (Marathi)
 
Best Children’s Film: Sumi (Marathi)
 
Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation: Taledanda (Kannada)
 
Best Film on Social Issues (Themes such as prohibition, women and child empowerment, social evils like dowry, drug abuse, empowerment of differently-abled people, tribal and indigenous people, etc.): Funeral (Marathi)
 
Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior  (Hindi)
 
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Mandela (Tamil)
 
Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)

Also read: Vidya Balan, Suriya, Manoj Bajpayee, Samantha Akkineni bag top acting honors at IFFM 2021; Check out the full list of winners below
 
NON-FEATURE FILMS:
 
Best Voice-over/Narration: Shobha Tharoor Sreenivasan, Rhapsody of Rains - Monsoons of Kerala (English)
 
Best Music Direction: Vishal Bhardwaj for 1232 Kms: Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar
 
Best Editing: Anadi Athaley for Borderlands
 
Best On-Location Sound Recordist: Sandip Bhati & Pradeep Lekhwar, Jadui Jangal for Magical Forest
 
Best Audiography: Ajit Singh Rathore, Pearl of the Desert (Rajasthani)
 
Best Cinematography: Nikhil S Praveen for Shabdikkunna Kalappa
 
Best Direction: Oh That’s Bhanu (English, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi)
 
Best Film on Family Values: Kumkumarchan (Worship of the Goddess) (Marathi)
 
Best Short Fiction Film: Kachichinithu
 
Special Jury Award: Admitted (Hindi and English) Director: Ojaswee Sharma
 
Best Investigative Film: The Saviour: Brig. Pritam Singh (Punjabi)
 
Best Exploration/Adventure Film: Wheeling the Ball (English and Hindi)
 
Best Educational Film: Dreaming of Words (Malayalam)
 
Best Film on Social Issues: Justice Delayed but Delivered
 
Best Film on Social Issues: Three Sisters (Bengali)
 
Best Environment Film: Manah Aru Manuh (Manas and People) (Assamese)
 
Best Promotional Film: Surmounting Challenges (English)
 
Best Science and Technology Films: On the brink season 2- Bats (English)
 
Best Arts and Culture Film: Naadada Navaneeta DR PT Venkateshkumar
 
Best Biographical Film: Pabung Syam (Manipuri)
 
Best Ethnographic Film: Mandal ke Bol (Hindi)
 
Best Debut Non-Feature Film of a Director: Pariah (Marathi and Hindi)
 
Best Non-Feature Film: Testimony of Ana
 
The jury included Chair Feature Film Jury Vipul Shah, Chair Non-Feature Jury Chitrartha Singh, Chair Best Writing of Cinema Anant Vijay, and Chair Most Film Friendly State Priyadarshanand.