National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation

National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation
National award for contributions to Indian Cinema
Awarded for	The best feature film focusing environmental concerns
Sponsored by	Directorate of Film Festivals
Reward(s)	Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) ₹50,000 (US$600)
First awarded	1989
Last awarded	2020
Most recent winner	Taledanda
Highlights
Total awarded	23
First winner	Bonani

The National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation was one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organization set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It was one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus). At the 70th National Film Awards, the category was discontinued and combined with Best Film on Family Welfare, Best Film on National Integration and Best Film on Other Social Issues. The new award is named as Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values. ^{[1] [2]}

The National Film Awards were established in 1954 to "encourage production of the films of a high aesthetic and technical standard and educational and culture value" and also planned to included awards for regional films. ^{[3] [4]} In 1989, at the 37th National Film Awards the new category of award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation was introduced for the Rajat Kamal and awarded annually for films produced in the year across the country, in all Indian languages. As of 2016 ^[update] since its inception, the award has been present only nineteen times to unique films. It has been presented for films in eight languages with the highest being six in Malayalam and Kannada, two each in Assamese and Odia, and one each in Bodo, Manipuri, Marathi, and Tamil. It was not presented on nine occasion in 1990 (38th ceremony), ^[5] 1991 (39th ceremony), ^[6] 1996 (44th ceremony), ^[7] 2001 (49th ceremony), ^[8] 2002 (50th ceremony), ^[9] 2006 (54th ceremony), ^[10] 2007 (55th ceremony), ^[11] 2009 (57th ceremony), ^[12] and 2011 (59th ceremony). ^[13]

The inaugural award was conferred upon the production house M/s Purbanchal Film Co-operative Society Ltd. (Rajat Kamal and ₹ 30,000) and director Jahnu Barua (Rajat Kamal and ₹ 15,000) for their Assamese film Bonani for the story of a lone forest officer fighting the illegal timber mafia and protecting rights of uneducated tribals. ^[14] Kannada film director P. Sheshadri received the award in 2005 for his film Thutturi which was produced by Jayamala Ramchandra. ^[15] He again won the award in 2010 for the film Bettada Jeeva produced by Basanta Kumar Patil. ^[16] Malayalam film director Dr. Biju went on to receive the award in 2013 for his film Perariyathavar produced by Ambalakkara Global Films and again in 2015 for the film Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal produced by A. K. Pillai. ^{[17] [18]} The most recent recipient of the award has been the Malayalam film Aavasavyuham ^[19] directed by Krishand RK. ^[20]

Winners

The award includes 'Rajat Kamal' (Silver Lotus) and cash prize to the producers and director each. The first award in 1989 had a monetary association of ₹ 30,000 to the producers and ₹ 15,000 to the directors. ^[14] In 1995 at the 43rd award ceremony the Bodo language film Rape in the Virgin Forest was honoured and the cash prices were revised to ₹ 30,000 each presented to Jwngdao Bodosa who had both produced and directed the film about the problems of deforestation and struggles of tribal people. ^[21] The monetary association was again revised to ₹ 1,50,000 to both the producers and directors in 2008 at the 56th awarding ceremony where producer Akshay Parija and director Prashanta Nanda's Odia language film Jianta Bhoota (meaning "The Living Ghost") was the winner for its portrayal of lives of Dongria Kondh tribal people residing in the Niyamgiri hills range of Odisha. ^{[10] [22]}

Following are the award winners over the years:

List of films, showing the year (award ceremony), language(s), producer(s), director(s) and citation
Year	Film(s)	Language(s)	Producer(s)	Director(s)	Citation	Refs.
1989 (37th)	Bonani	Assamese	Purbanchal Film	Jahnu Barua	For its delicate and nuanced description of a forest official's struggle against mercenary and bureaucratic despoilation of forests.	[14]
1990 (38th)	No Award					[5]
1991 (39th)	No Award					[6]
1992 (40th)	Cheluvi	Kannada	Sadir Media	Girish Karnad	For its direct and effective communication of a threatening problem, deforestation.	[23]
1993 (41st)	Devara Kadu	Kannada	Pattabhirami Reddy Productions	Pattabhirami Reddy Tikkavarapu	For presenting the two themes of "Back to Village" and "Preservation of Nature" by an imaginative use of myths and legends.	[24]
1994 (42nd)	Nirbachana	Odia	• NFDC  • Doordarshan	Biplab Ray Chowdhury	For a stunningly controlled and uniquely cinematic metaphor of rural India and impending environment catastrophe shown with compassion and satire.	[25]
1995 (43rd)	Rape in the Virgin Forest (Hagramayao Jinahari)	Bodo	Jwngdao Bodosa	Jwngdao Bodosa	For effectively handling the problem of deforestation, through the life and struggle of a tribal community and exposing the real culprits behind this crime.	[21]
1996 (44th)	No Award					[7]
1997 (45th)	Bhoomi Geetha	Kannada	R. Mahadev Gowda	Kesari Harvoo	For its sincere statement the need for a balanced approach towards environment and tribal cultures that get displaced in the course of development.	[26]
1998 (46th)	Malli	Tamil	N'CYP	Santosh Sivan	For its lucid and lyrical depiction of nature and the need to save the environmental assets which have made life on tris earth possible and beautiful.	[27]
1999 (47th)	Jalamarmaram	Malayalam	• Latha Kurien Rajeev  •Radhika Suresh Gopi	T. K. Rajeev Kumar	For handling a theme of great concern in the increasingly polluted environs of our industrial towns and cities, through the imaginative touch of a fairly tale.	[28]
2000 (48th)	Oru Cheru Punchiri	Malayalam	Jisha John	M. T. Vasudevan Nair	For telling the simple and moving story of an elderly couple and their relationship with the world around them. In depicting the couple's love for the trees and plants in their garden, the film spreads the message of environmental conservation in the broadest sense in a gentle, unobtrusive way.	[29]
2001 (49th)	No Award					[8]
2002 (50th)	Urumattram	Tamil	Aadhi Bhagavan Talkies	B.Sivakumar	The story revolves around a Grand-father, his son and grand son. The son who is in hurry to migrate to the U.S. is convinced he has tied up all the loose ends like securing the future of his family as well as the care of his old father. The grand father is shocked by the sale of the ancestral home and is completely shattered by the irresponsibility of maximising gain in turning it over to a plastic factory owner. The old man is redeemed by the youngster who picks up hope from the grand father's values – of environment awareness and human relationship.	[9]
2003 (51st)	Juye Poora Xoon	Assamese	Sanjib Sabhapandit	Sanjib Sabhapandit	For its representation of large-scale migration and the erosion of a way of life by floods and industrialisation.	[30]
2004 (52nd)	Devrai	Marathi	Y. N. Oak	• Sumitra Bhave  • Sunil Sukthankar	In this chaotic world, when every body talks about the importance of environment, conservation and preservation but no body cares to learn from the wisdom of myth created by our forefathers and create a space for every mind to realise its potential without judging, discriminating or condemning.	[31]
2005 (53rd)	Thutturi	Kannada	Jaimala Ramchandra	P. Sheshadri	For its imaginative portrayal of a group of young children who fight to preserve a healthy urban environment.	[15]
2006 (54th)	No Award					[10]
2007 (55th)	No Award					[11]
2008 (56th)	Jianta Bhoota	Odia	Akshay Kumar Parija	Prashanta Nanda	For sensitive portrayal of exploitation of innocence in the name of development.	[32]
2009 (57th)	No Award					[12]
2010 (58th)	Bettada Jeeva	Kannada	Basanta Kumar Patil	P. Sheshadri	An old couple steeped in the soil of their environment yearn for the return of their son while nurturing the growth of their young plantation against all odds.	[16]
2011 (59th)	No Award					[13]
2012 (60th)	Black Forest	Malayalam	Joshy Mathew	Baby Mathew Somatheeram	Set in a tribal backdrop the movie effectively advocates the urgent need for environmental protection. The protagonists in the form of three children make the film all the more acceptable to the impressionable minds!	[33]
2013 (61st)	Perariyathavar	Malayalam	Ambalakkara Global Films	Dr. Biju	For telling the story of those nameless, faceless marginalized people through the life of a widowed father who works as a scavenger and his eight year old son. It depicts the real lives of the poor who live in the margin of civilized society with an unusual power and artistic honesty.	[17]
2014 (62nd)	Ottaal	Malayalam	Director Cutz Film Company	Jayaraj	Ottal, a visual poem, expresses the beauty and serenity of the protagonist's rural environment and a way of life whose value is measured by the poignancy of its loss.	[34]
2015 (63rd)	Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal	Malayalam	A. K. Pillai	Dr. Biju	For a dramatically disturbing exposition of the ill effects of pesticides in North Kerala.	[18]
2016 (64th)	Loktak Lairembee	Manipuri	Haobam Paban Kumar	Haobam Paban Kumar	The film brings out the nuances of an environmental issue in a heart wrenching and touching manner	[35]
2017 (65th)	Irada	Hindi	Irada Entertainment	Aparnaa Singh	–
2018 (66th)	Paani	Marathi	Priyanka Chopra	Adinath Kothare	The film traces the story of a dry and parched village that comes together to generate their most valuable resource – Water.
2019 (67th)	Water Burial	Monpa	Faruque Iftikar	Shantanu Sen	Excellent cinematic depiction of the culture of the cultural adherence of the Monpa community, their rituals and more importantly their faith and commitment towards the environment.	[36]
2020 (68th)	Taledanda	Kannada	• Hema Malini Krupakar  • Arun Kumar R.	Praveen Krupakar	For highlighting the struggle of local tribes in conserving the evergreen forest.	[37]
2021 (69th)	Aavasavyuham: The Arbit Documentation of An Amphibian Hunt	Malayalam	Krishand RK	Krishand RK	'Aavasavyuham: The Arbit Documentation of An Amphibian Hunt', which had won the Kerala State Film Awards for Best Film and Best Screenplay in 2021, bagged the national award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation. It's not just feature films that bagged honours for the Malayalam film industry.	[38] [39] [40] [41]

References

1. Bharat, E. T. V. (13 February 2024). "National Film Awards Undergo Changes, Nargis Dutt, Indira Gandhi Categories Renamed". ETV Bharat News. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
2. "Indira Gandhi, Nargis Dutt's names dropped from National Film Awards categories". India Today. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
3. "1st National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
4. "1st National Film Awards (PDF)" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
5. "38th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
6. "39th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
7. "44th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
8. "49th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
9. "50th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
10. "54th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
11. "55th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
12. "57th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
13. "59th National Film Awards for the Year 2011 Announced". Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
14. "37th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
15. "53rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
16. "58th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
17. "61st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
18. "63rd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
19. "National Film Awards: Allu Arjun, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon Best Actors; Indrans bags special mention". OnManorama. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
20. Bureau, The Hindu (24 August 2023). "69th National Film Awards | Allu Arjun, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon win big". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 14 October 2023.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
21. "43rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
22. "'Jianta Bhoota' bags national film award". The Hindu . 26 January 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
23. "40th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
24. "41st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
25. "42nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
26. "45th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
27. "46th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
28. "47th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
29. "48th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
30. "51st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
31. "52nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
32. "56th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
33. "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
34. "62nd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
35. "64th National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
36. "67th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals . Retrieved 25 May 2022.
37. Keshri, Shweta (22 July 2022). "68th National Film Awards Full Winners List: Suriya, Ajay Devgn jointly win Best Actor". India Today. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
38. "Malayalam movies shine at National Film Awards 2023, 'Home' bags award for 'Best Malayalam Film'". The Economic Times. 25 August 2023. ISSN   0013-0389 . Retrieved 14 October 2023.
39. Kaushal, Sweta. "India Announces National Film Awards: Alia Bhatt-Kriti Sanon Are Best Actors, 'Rocketry' Best Film". Forbes. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
40. "2 environmental film awards, debut director, special mention for Indrans: Kerala in 69th NFA". English.Mathrubhumi. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
41. Bureau, The Hindu (24 August 2023). "69th National Film Awards | Allu Arjun, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon win big". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 14 October 2023.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)

External links

• Official Page for Directorate of Film Festivals, India
• National Film Awards Archives
• National Film Awards at IMDb