Awards
Awards were divided into feature films, non-feature films and books written on Indian cinema.
Lifetime Achievement Award
| Name of Award | Image | Awardee(s) | Awarded As | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award |  | Bhupen Hazarika | Music director | Swarna Kamal, ₹100,000 and a Shawl |
Feature films
Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 40th National Film Awards, a Sanskrit film, Bhagavad Gita won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and a Tamil film, Thevar Magan won the maximum number of awards (5). Following were the awards given in each category: [1]
Juries
A committee headed by Balu Mahendra was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. Following were the jury members: [1]
- Jury Members
- Balu Mahendra (Chairperson) • Sai Paranjpye •Swapan Kumar Ghosh •K. D. Shorey •Hema Mehta •T. S. Mohana • Bijaya Jena • V. K. Pavithran • Basu Chatterjee •Surinder Singh •Anil Saari • Sabyasachi Mohapatra • T. S. Nagabharana • Surjya Hazarika
All India Award
Following were the awards given: [1]
Golden Lotus Award
Official Name: Swarna Kamal [1]
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Language | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Feature Film | Bhagavad Gita | Sanskrit | Producer: T. Subbarami Reddy | ₹ 50,000/- |
| director: G. V. Iyer | ₹ 25,000/- | |||
| Citation:For successfully translating immortal philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita into a cinematic idiom. | ||||
| Best Direction | Padma Nadir Majhi | Bengali | Gautam Ghose | ₹ 50,000/- |
| Citation:For his stunningly convincing realisation of Manik Bandopadhyay's novel into a breathtaking cinematic experience. | ||||
| Best Debut Film of a Director | Miss Beatty's Children | English | Producer: NFDC, Doordarshan and Rooks AV Director: Pamela Rooks | ₹ 25,000/- Each |
| Citation:For an elegantly simple and sensitive depiction of a British missionary woman who fights the devdasi system in pre-independent India. | ||||
| Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | Sargam | Malayalam | Producer: Bhavani | ₹ 40,000/- |
| Director: Hariharan | ₹ 20,000/- | |||
| Citation:For its delightful rendering of a family saga into a heartwarming musical film. | ||||
| Best Children's Film | Mujhse Dosti Karoge | Hindi | Producer: National Center of Films for Children and Young People | ₹ 30,000/- |
| Director: Gopi Desai | ₹ 15,000/- | |||
| Citation:For its gentle handling of a child who has exciting adventures in his own social dream world. | ||||
Silver Lotus Award
Official Name: Rajat Kamal [1]
All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Language | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second Best Feature Film | Padma Nadir Majhi | Bengali | Producer: Government of West Bengal | ₹ 30,000/- |
| Director: Gautam Ghose | ₹ 15,000/- | |||
| Citation:For depicting the plight of boat people of the river Padma in an unforgettable experience. | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Sadayam | Malayalam | M. T. Vasudevan Nair | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For an extremely well structured script. | ||||
| Best Cinematography | Miss Beatty's Children | English | Cameraman: Venu Laboratory Processing: Prasad Film Laboratories | ₹ 15,000/- |
| Citation:For his masterly, unobtrusive and technically excellent camera work. | ||||
| Best Audiography | Thevar Magan | Tamil | N. Pandurangan | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For his extremely creative recording and mixing of the sound track, giving the film an added dimension. | ||||
| Best Editing | Sargam | Malayalam | M. S. Mani | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For imparting a natural rhythm to Sargam completely in time with its musical format. | ||||
| Best Art Direction | Rudaali | Hindi | Samir Chanda | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For its realistic recreation of the desert scape, with its requisite architectural structures, both opulent and humble. | ||||
| Best Music Direction | Roja | Tamil | A. R. Rahman | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For the harmonious blend of western and Karnatak classical music in Roja, the separate music systems complementing each other without losing their own identities. | ||||
| Best Costume Design | Rudaali | Hindi | •Mala Dey • Simple Kapadia | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For the authentic designs they created to blend with the desert backdrop of Rajasthan. | ||||
| Best Actor | Tahader Katha | Bengali | Mithun Chakraborty | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For his innovative performance which effectively captures the agony of a freedom fighter immediately after Independence. | ||||
| Best Actress | Rudaali | Hindi | Dimple Kapadia | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For compelling interpretation of the tribulations of a lonely woman ravaged by a cruel society. | ||||
| Best Supporting Actor | Damini | Hindi | Sunny Deol | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For his outstanding portrayal of hardened and cynical lawyer who takes on new challenges in his quest for justice. | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | Thevar Magan | Tamil | Revathi | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For compelling and convincing performance of an innocent village girl, giving it an effortlessly charming naturalness. | ||||
| Best Child Artist | Mujhse Dosti Karoge | Hindi | Amit Phalke | ₹ 5,000/- |
| Citation:For the sheer joy and versatility he brings to the portrayal of a lovable lad lost in his own dream world. | ||||
| Best Male Playback Singer | Jeevana Chaitra ("Naadamaya Ee Lokavella") | Kannada | Rajkumar | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For his extraordinary rendering of a raga celebrating the all pervasive power of music. | ||||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Thevar Magan ("Inji Idupazhagi") | Tamil | S. Janaki | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For melodious rendering of an innocent love song. | ||||
| Best Lyrics | Roja ("Chinna Chinna Aasai") | Tamil | Vairamuthu | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For his charming, simple poem which has been become a new nursery rhyme on the lips of every child in Tamil Nadu. | ||||
| Best Special Effects | Angaar | Hindi | Shashilal K. Nair | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For his absolutely convincing miniature work. | ||||
| Best Choreography | Ek Hota Vidushak | Marathi | Laxmibai Kolhapurkar | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For successfully adapting a popular folk theatre form to the screen. | ||||
| Best Feature Film on National Integration | Roja | Tamil | Producer: Kavithalayaa Productions | ₹ 30,000/- |
| Director: Mani Ratnam | ₹ 15,000/- | |||
| Citation:For presenting a thrilling drama of the abduction of an Indian scientist by a self-proclaimed liberation army which later realises the futility of its anti-social activities. | ||||
| Best Film on Family Welfare | Shwet Paatharer Thala | Bengali | Producer: Shankar Gope | ₹ 30,000/- |
| Director: Prabhat Roy | ₹ 15,000/- | |||
| Citation:For its bold depiction of a widow who defies tradition. | ||||
| Best Film on Other Social Issues | Neenga Nalla Irukkanum | Tamil | Producer: G. V. Films Pvt. Ltd | ₹ 30,000/- |
| Director: Visu | ₹ 15,000/- | |||
| Citation:For its effective and purposeful plea for prohibition. | ||||
| Best Film on Environment / Conservation / Preservation | Cheluvi | Hindi | Producer: Sadir Media Pvt. Ltd | ₹ 30,000/- |
| Director: Girish Karnad | ₹ 15,000/- | |||
| Citation:For its direct and effective communication of a threatening problem – deforestation. | ||||
| Special Jury Award | Thevar Magan | Tamil | Sivaji Ganeshan (Actor) | ₹ 5,000/- Each |
| Maya Memsaab | Hindi | Ketan Mehta (Director) | ||
| Special Mention | Pasanda Pandit | Bengali | Sibaprasad Sen (Director) | Certificate Only |
| Citation:For his refreshing directorial debut. | ||||
Regional Awards
The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India. [1]
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Feature Film in Assamese | Railor Alir Dubori Ban | Producer: Pulak Gogoi | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: Pulak Gogoi | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its innovative style in putting across the tragedy of the exploited poor and portraying their agony and helplessness in a poignant manner. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Bengali | Tahader Katha | Producer: NFDC | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: Buddhadeb Dasgupta | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its most unusual and daring treatment of a very real socio-political issue in a metaphoric manner – the alienation of a freedom fighter from his country, now changed beyond recognition. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Hindi | Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda | Producer: NFDC | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: Shyam Benegal | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its poetically charming enquiry into the nature and meaning of love. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Kannada | Harakeya Kuri | Producer: B. V. Radha | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: Lalitha Ravee (K. S. L. Swame) | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its political satire depicting the present-day social situation wherein the innocent citizens are made pawns in the hands of politicians with vested interests. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Malayalam | Swaroopam | Producer: P. T. K. Mohammed | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: K. R. Mohanan | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its original concept and in-depth exploration of the psyche of a man who escapes into the mystic past to flee from the harsh reality of everyday life. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Marathi | Ek Hota Vidushak | Producer: NFDC | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: Jabbar Patel | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its humane portrait of simple tamash clown sucked in by the glittering world of show business and exploited by politicians. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Oriya | Vinya Samaya | Producer: Shankar Gope | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: Manmohan Mahapatra | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its competent treatment of the corruption of modern youth in search of illusive wealth. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Tamil | Thevar Magan | Producer: Kamal Haasan | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: Bharathan | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its dynamic depiction of an educated youth who returns to his roots to fight injustice and in the process is forced to unleash the animal within him. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Telugu | Ankuram | Producer: K. V. Suresh Kumar | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: C. Umamaheswara Rao | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For the struggle of a simple housewife who fights an oppressive system single-handed and succeeds in making a dent. | |||
Best Feature Film in Each of the Language Other Than Those Specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Feature Film in English | Electric Moon | Producer: S. S. Bedi | ₹ 20,000/- |
| Director: Pradip Krishen | ₹ 10,000/- | ||
| Citation:For its tongue-in-cheek parody of royalty gone to seed. A humorous depiction of a decaying way of life, not without its tragic undertones. | |||
Non-Feature Films
Short Films made in any Indian language and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary/newsreel/fiction are eligible for non-feature film section.
Juries
A committee headed by Ghanashyam Mohapatra was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. Following were the jury members: [1]
- Jury Members
- Ghanashyam Mohapatra (Chairperson) •Serbjeet Singh •P. B. Pendharkar • Lenin Rajendran
Golden Lotus Award
Official Name: Swarna Kamal [1]
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Language | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Non-Feature Film | In Search of Indian Theatre | English | Producer: Arundhati Chatterjee Director: Abhijit Chattopadhyay | ₹ 15,000/- Each |
| Citation:For a deep and sensitive insight into contemporary Indian theatre. | ||||
Silver Lotus Award
Official Name: Rajat Kamal [1]
All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Language | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best First Non-Feature Film | Knock-Out | Tamil | Producer: B. Lenin Director: B. Lenin | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:The director has given us a powerful insight into the labyrinth of the human mind faced with a disaster situation. | ||||
| Best Anthropological / Ethnographic Film | Wangala – A Garo Festival | English | Producer: Bappa Ray Director: Bappa Ray | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For competently presenting the life of lifestyle of Garo community of Meghalaya. | ||||
| Best Biographical Film | Pandit Bhimsen Joshi | Hindi | Producer: Gulzar for Films Division Director: Gulzar | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For a moving rendering of the life of great master of ragas. | ||||
| Best Arts / Cultural Film | The Recluse | Hindi | Producer: Arvind Sinha Director: Arvind Sinha | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For a fine and moving tribute to one of the great living master of Dhrupad – Ustad Amiruddin Dagar. | ||||
| Suchitra Mitra | Bengali | Producer: Sailen Seth Director: Raja Sen | ||
| Citation:For a cinematic tribute to the greatest living exponent of Rabindra Sangeet. | ||||
| Best Scientific Film | Chunauti | Marathi | Producer: D. G. Information and Public Relations, Government of Maharashtra Director: Dinkar Chowdhary | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For its daring presentation in a befitting manner of the most dangerous disease of present times – AIDS. | ||||
| Best Environment / Conservation / Preservation Film | Ladhakh – The Forbidden Wilderness | English | Producer: Bedi Films Director: Naresh Bedi | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For an authentic rendition of civilisation and wildlife on the roof of the world. | ||||
| Best Promotional Film | Sound of the Dying Colors | English | Producer: Paran Barbarooah, B. B. Productions Director: Sher Choudhury | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For the film makes out a good case for preserving the arts of dyeing that have existed in many tribal communities for centuries. | ||||
| Best Agricultural Film | Ber | English | Producer: Om Prakash Sharma for Films Division Director: Rajgopal Rao | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For a skilful rendition of the process in the cultivation of ber in the arid zones of India. | ||||
| Best Film on Social Issues | Choodiyan | Hindi | Producer: Sai Paranjpye for Films Division Director: Sai Paranjpye | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For portraying the courage of women in fighting alcoholism among the menfolk of the community. | ||||
| Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional Film | Kalarippayat | English | Producer: P. Ashok Kumar Director: P. Ashok Kumar | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For a unique picturisation of the martial art of Kerala. | ||||
| Towards Joy and Freedom | English | Producer: Haimanti Banerjee Director: Haimanti Banerjee | ||
| Citation:For insight into the system of education being practised at Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan. | ||||
| Best Exploration / Adventure Film | Antarctica – A Scientists' Paradise | English | Producer: R. Krishna Mohan for Films Division Director: A. Udayashankar | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For an impressive pictorial record of achievements of our scientists on the frozen continent of Antarctica. | ||||
| Best Investigative Film | Ram ke Naam | Hindi | Producer: Anand Patwardhan Director: Anand Patwardhan | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For a skilfully made film on a major problem of the times – the communal divide. | ||||
| Best Animation Film | Gaaye Ki Sachai | Hindi | Producer: Climb Films and N'CYP Director: Bhimsain Animator: Bhimsain | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For an allegorical story skilfully told about moral values. | ||||
| The Threads | English | Producer: B. R. Shendge for Films Division Director: Girish Rao Animator: Girish Rao | ||
| Citation:For an innovative film on the theme of unity. | ||||
| Best Short Fiction Film | Agar Aap Chahein | Hindi | Producer: Shahnaz Rahim for Films Division Director: Mazahir Rahim | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For a moving story of a village community which has been saved from migration to a city by timely help from a bank for agricultural development. | ||||
| Best Film on Family Welfare | Suno Bahu Rani | Hindi | Producer: Om Prakash Sharma for Films Division Director: K. K. Kapil | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For a deftly made film with the aid of puppets on the theme of family welfare. | ||||
| Best Cinematography | Sucitra Mitra | Bengali | Cameraman: Soumendu Roy Laboratory Processing: Adlabs | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:For capturing on celluloid the many moods of the Bengal landscape and picturisation of the famous singer Suchitra Mitra. | ||||
| Best Audiography | Wangala – A Garo Festival | English | Sanjoy Chatterjee | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For a sustained standard of sound recording on difficult locations which enriches the quality of the film. | ||||
| Best Editing | Kalarippayat | English | K. R. Bose | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For deft cutting of difficult sequence which makes it possible to maintain the rhythm and tempo of the film. | ||||
| Special Jury Award | Noottantinte Sakshi | Malayalam | •Salam Karassery (Producer) •Sasibhushan (Director) | ₹ 10,000/- |
| Citation:For a moving narrative about the courageous Maulvi patriot and centenarian Moidu Maulvi of Calicut, Kerala. | ||||
Best Writing on Cinema
The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through publication of books, articles, reviews etc.
Juries
A committee headed by Mrinal Pande was appointed to evaluate the writing on Indian cinema. Following were the jury members: [1]
- Jury Members
- Mrinal Pande (Chairperson) •Gautaman Bhaskaran • Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
Golden Lotus Award
Official Name: Swarna Kamal [1]
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)' and cash prize.
| Name of Award | Name of Book | Language | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Book on Cinema | Awara | English | Author: Gayatri Chatterjee Publisher: Wiley Eastern Ltd | ₹ 10,000/- Each |
| Citation:Her work is a novel experiment, which analyses the film in depth both at a personal and at a social level. What emerges is a clear reflection of the socio-economic fabric of a newly independent India. The book can be rightly termed an extension of Raj Kapoor's artistic sensibilities. | ||||
| Best Film Critic | Bengali | Sudhir Bose | ₹ 10,000/- | |
| Citation:His writings go beyond newspaper or magazine journalism. His courage of conviction helps him to reflect most authentically the regional and ethnic sensitibilies of cinema across globe. Whether it be Indian cinema or Hungarian or even American, Mr. Bose's articles portray a rare kind of perception. | ||||
Awards not given
Following were the awards not given as no film was found to be suitable for the award: [1]
