Winners for the 68th National Film Awards were announced yesterday July 22 in New Delhi. Tamil movie ‘Soorarai Pottru’ bagged national awards for the Best Feature Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Background Score, and Best Screenplay followed by “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior” which won the awards in the Best Actor and the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment categories. The Best Actor award for the year was shared by Suriya and Ajay Devgn for their work in Soorarai Pottru and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior respectively.

While Suriya received his first National Award, Ajay Devgn got his third – he won Best Actor for his 1998 film Zakhm and 2002’s The Legend Of Bhagat Singh. Soorarai Pottru, based on events in the life of Simplifly Deccan founder G Gopinath, also won Best Feature Film, Best Actress for Aparna Balamurali, Best Screenplay and Best Background Score.

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Aparna Balamurali won the Best Actress award for her performance in the Tamil film, which also got the awards in the Best Background Score (GV Prakash Kumar), and the Best Screenplay (Shalini Usha Nair and Sudha Kongara).

Late Sachidanandan KR has got the Best Director award for Malayalam movie, AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum, while the Best Female Playback Singer prize went to Nanchamma for the same movie. Rahul Deshpande was adjudged the Best Male Playback Singer. Testimony of Ana bagged the Best Non-Feature Film award. Manoj Muntashir has won the award for Best Lyrics for the Hindi movie ‘Saina’.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur congratulated all the winners, stating that 2020 was a particularly difficult year for films due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the nominations consisted of great works.

Taking to social media Kajol congratulated the team Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior for the victory.

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Madhya Pradesh was picked as the Most Film-Friendly State with Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh receiving special mentions.

The feature film jury this year is headed by filmmaker Vipul Shah; the awards were announced by jury member and cinematographer Dharam Gulati.

The National Film Awards will be handed out in a ceremony later this year.

Here’s the full list of winners:

FEATURE FILMS:

Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru

Best Direction: Sachy, Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali, Soorarai Pottru

Best Actor: Suriya, Soorarai Pottru and Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior

Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli, Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengalum

Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon, AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum

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

Special Mention: Vaanku (Malayalam), June (Marathi), Avwanchhit (Marathi), Godakaath (Marathi),Toolsidas Junior (Hindi)

Best Tulu Film: Jeetige

Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi

Best Diimasa Film: Semkhor

Best Action Direction: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Best Choreography: Natyam (Telugu)

Best Lyrics: Saina

Best Music Direction: Ala Vaikunthapurramulo (Songs): Thaman S

(Background Score): Soorarai Pottru

Best Make-Up: Natyam

Best Production Design: Kappela

Best Editing: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum

Best Audiography: Dollu

Best Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru

Best Dialogue Writer: Mandela

Best Cinematography: Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu)

Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma, AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande, Mi Vasantrao

Best Film on Environment Conservation: Manah Aru Manuh (Assam)

Most Film-Friendly State: Madhya Pradesh

NON-FEATURE FILMS

Best Narration: Rhapsody of Rains – Monsoons of Kerala

Best Editing: Borderlands

Best Audiography: Dollu

Best On-Location Sound Recordist: Magical Forest

Best Cinematography: Shabdikkunna Kalappa

Best Direction: Oh That’s Bhanu

Best Film on Family Values: Kumkumarchan

Best Short Fiction Film: Kachichinithu

Special Jury Award: Admitted

Best Investigative Film: The Saviour: Brig. Pritam Singh

Best Exploration Film: Wheeling the Ball

Best Education Film: Dreaming of Words

Best Film on Social Issues: Justice Delayed but Delivered

Best Environment Film: Manah Aru Manuh

Best Promotional Film: Surmounting Challenges

Best Art and Culture Film: Naadada Navaneeta DR PT Venkateshkumar

Best Biographical Film: Pabung Syam

Best Ethnographic Film: Mandal ke Bol

Best Non-Feature Film: Testimony of Ana

Best Debut Non-Feature Film of a Director: Pariah