National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment

National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
National award for contributions to Indian Cinema
Sponsored by	National Film Development Corporation of India
Formerly called	Best Feature Film with Mass Appeal, Wholesome Entertainment and Aesthetic Value (1974–1985) Best Film Providing Popular and Wholesome Entertainment (1986–1988)
Reward(s)	Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) ₹3,00,000
First awarded	1974
Last awarded	2022
Most recent winner	Kantara
Highlights
Total awarded	44
First winner	Kora Kagaz
Website	http://dff.gov.in/

The National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India, and was constituted in the year 1975. This is one of the Golden Lotus Awards (Swarna Kamal) given among National Film Awards. It is announced for films produced in a year across the country, in all Indian languages.

Films in the following languages have won the Best Popular Feature Film award: Hindi (29 awards), Telugu (6 awards), Tamil (4 awards), Malayalam (3 awards), Bengali (2 awards), and Kannada (2 awards).

With six wins, Yash Raj Films is the production house with the most wins. With five wins, Yash Chopra is the producer with the most wins, producing most of the company's winning films. He has also directed four winning films, the most for any director. Shah Rukh Khan has starred in seven winning films, the most for any actor in a leading role, followed by Aamir Khan with five winning films. Madhuri Dixit and Kajol have each starred in three winning films, the most for any actress in a leading role.

Winners

Indicates a joint award for that year

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.
1974 (22nd)	Kora Kagaz [a]	Hindi	Sanat Kothari for Shreeji Films	Anil Ganguly	–	[1]
1975 (23rd)	Tapasya	Hindi	Rajshri Productions	Anil Ganguly	–	[2]
1976 (24th)	No Award					[3]
1977 (25th)	Swami	Hindi	Jaya Charavarthy	Basu Chatterjee	For a taut script, for restrained, mature and dignified performances (especially by Girish Karnad), for meticulous attention to detail, for maintaining the spirit of the original story and translating it into the film medium with effectiveness and grace, for giving an old theme a contemporary relevance, for providing that it is possible to make a film with popular appeal without surrendering psychological truth or artistic values.	[4]
1978 (26th)	Ganadevata	Bengali	•Department of Information and Cultural Affairs  • Government of West Bengal	Tarun Majumdar	For brilliant picturisation of modern literary classic. Like the novel, film succeeds in capturing a whole era in transition. Steering clear of both commercial vulgarisation and pretentiousness, the film uses all the cinematic, to effectively communicate to the masses.	[5]
1979 (27th)	Sankarabharanam	Telugu	Edida Nageswara Rao	K. Viswanath	Powerful presentation of the teacher-student relationship, highlights the urgent need of revival of Indian classical music through a powerful protagonist. For a creative use of classical music as a metaphor for popular cinematic narrative and entertainment.	[6]
1980 (28th)	No Award					[7]
1981 (29th)	No Award					[8]
1982 (30th)	No Award					[9]
1983 (31st)	No Award					[10]
1984 (32nd)	Koni	Bengali	Government of West Bengal	Saroj Dey	–	[11]
1985 (33rd)	No Award					[12]
1986 (34th)	Samsaram Adhu Minsaram	Tamil	AVM Productions	Visu	For its entertaining presentation of a complex contemporary social problem – the disintegration of the joint family.	[13]
1987 (35th)	Pushpaka Vimana	Kannada	• Singeetam Srinivasa Rao  • Shringar Nagaraj	Singeetam Srinivasa Rao	For its innovative approach to entertainment.	[14]
1988 (36th)	Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak	Hindi	Nasir Hussain Films	Mansoor Khan	For presenting fresh and clean charm on celluloid with discerning imagination.	[15]
1989 (37th)	Chandni	Hindi	Yash Raj Films	Yash Chopra	For providing clean and romantic entertainment illuminated with smooth performances and fresh lyrics in folk form.	[16]
	Geethanjali	Telugu	Bhagyalakshmi Enterprises	Mani Ratnam	For its innovative approach in depicting youthful passion.
1990 (38th)	Ghayal	Hindi	Dharmendra	Rajkumar Santoshi	For being thematically highly credible, emotionally very well-woven, logically executed, and technically superb film.	[17]
1991 (39th)	No Award					[18]
1992 (40th)	Sargam	Malayalam	Bhavani	Hariharan	For its delighful rendering of a family saga into a heartwarming musical film.	[19]
1993 (41st)	Manichitrathazhu	Malayalam	Appachan	Fazil	For handling an unusual subject of psychological aberration in a conservative society and the ultimate acceptance of a modern approach.	[20]
	Darr	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Yash Chopra	For its convincing presentation of the theme of love, which has been rendered complex by its relationship with past experiences of fear.
1994 (42nd)	Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!	Hindi	Rajshri Productions	Sooraj R. Barjatya	For revolutionising mass entertainment in India with a family entertainer and a fantasy film that succeeds without recourse to familiar narrative idioms of violence.	[21]
1995 (43rd)	Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Aditya Chopra	For providing meaningful family entertainment through a simple love story with kindness and sensitivity.	[22]
1996 (44th)	Maachis	Hindi	R. V. Pandit	Gulzar	For powerful depiction of Punjab situation, exploring the trauma, conflict and tragedy of the youth in Punjab.	[23]
1997 (45th)	Dil To Pagal Hai	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Yash Chopra	For its clean, fun-loving portrayal of young people in the film that moves effortlessly and avoids any signs of violence or vulgarity.	[24]
1998 (46th)	Kuch Kuch Hota Hai	Hindi	Yash Johar	Karan Johar	For the irresistible charm and universal appeal of its story, music, dance and performances.	[25]
1999 (47th)	Sarfarosh	Hindi	John Matthew Matthan	John Matthew Matthan	For its engrossing projection of an honest officer, who fights engineered subversion which fuels suspicion and sours relationship between two communities. A bold subject for the debut film of a director in mainstream cinema.	[26]
2000 (48th)	Vaanathaippola	Tamil	V. Ravichandran	Vikraman	For its sincere projection of the values of a joint family and the need to share good and difficult times together.	[27]
2001 (49th)	Lagaan	Hindi	Aamir Khan	Ashutosh Gowariker	For showing the victory of the human spirit in the face of oppression and for the creative use of a Cricket game as a metaphor for both colonisation and nationalism.	[28]
2002 (50th)	Devdas	Hindi	Bharat Shah	Sanjay Leela Bhansali	For its technical finesse and its modern reinterpretation of an enduring classic.	[29]
2003 (51st)	Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.	Hindi	Vidhu Vinod Chopra	Rajkumar Hirani	For dealing with social issues with humour and compassion.	[30]
2004 (52nd)	Veer-Zaara	Hindi	Yash Raj Films	Yash Chopra	For invoking a touching tale of love highlighting the importance of human relationship above man-made boundaries.	[31]
	Autograph	Tamil	Cheran	Cheran	For invoking nostalgia in a manner that is powerful yet poetic.
2005 (53rd)	Rang De Basanti	Hindi	•UTV Motion Pictures  •Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures	Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra	For creating popular appeal that captures the angst of the younger generation with compassion and imagination.	[32]
2006 (54th)	Lage Raho Munna Bhai	Hindi	Vidhu Vinod Chopra	Rajkumar Hirani	For revalidating the philosophy of non-violence in a strife-torn world and helping rediscover the Gandhi within the common man.	[33]
2007 (55th)	Chak De! India	Hindi	Aditya Chopra	Shimit Amin	For thoroughly entertaining the audience, making one proud to be an Indian. A masterpiece of inspired filmmaking.	[34]
2008 (56th)	Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!	Hindi	UTV Motion Pictures	Dibakar Banerjee	For its intelligent treatment of an off-beat subject that makes it different within the popular format.	[35]
2009 (57th)	3 Idiots	Hindi	Vidhu Vinod Chopra	Rajkumar Hirani	For an intelligent entertainer that touches upon the contemporary concerns of society with great humour and engaging performances.	[36]
2010 (58th)	Dabangg	Hindi	• Arbaaz Khan  • Malaika Arora Khan  • Dhillin Mehta	Abhinav Kashyap	For responding to the need of cinegoers for "mast" entertainment that is rooted in Indian soil.	[37]
2011 (59th)	Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai	Tamil	P. Madhan	Suseenthiran	For redefining conventional notions of modern entertainment and still gaining acceptance in the mainstream. The director boldly sets out to narrate a fable revolving around temple rituals within a completely realistic framework of farmers, politicians and the poor families of rural Tamil Nadu. His engagement with filmic language is as robust as the emotional graphs charted out by a massive ensemble of characters.	[38]
2012 (60th)	Vicky Donor	Hindi	•Sunil Lulla  • John Abraham  •Ronnie Lahiri  •Ram Mirchandani	Shoojit Sircar	A wholesome entertainer presented in a breezy and humorous fashion. The film-maker has deftly avoided falling into the beaten track of formula films by presenting the sensitive subject of sperm donation without pandering to the baser instincts of the average viewer.	[39]
	Ustad Hotel	Malayalam	Listin Stephen	Anwar Rasheed	An excellent advertisement for 'Desi Enterprise', the film conveys a strong message of seeking realization, compassion and contentment through service to the society at large!
2013 (61st)	Bhaag Milkha Bhaag	Hindi	Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra	Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra	For retaining the story and values of a great sportsman and translating it into the cinematic medium with aplomb.	[40]
2014 (62nd)	Mary Kom	Hindi	Sanjay Leela Bhansali	Omung Kumar	For an inspiring tale of a woman who becomes a national icon through her determined pursuit of sporting excellence..	[41]
2015 (63rd)	Bajrangi Bhaijaan	Hindi	• Salman Khan  • Rockline Venkatesh	Kabir Khan	For tackling an important social issue in the simple heart-warming & entertaining format.	[42]
2016 (64th)	Sathamanam Bhavati	Telugu	V. Venkata Ramana Reddy	Satish Vegesna	In appreciation of providing a feeling of jubilation by respecting family values in an unexplored manner.	[43]
2017 (65th)	Baahubali 2: The Conclusion	Telugu	• Shobu Yarlagadda  • Prasad Devineni	S. S. Rajamouli	–	[44]
2018 (66th)	Badhaai Ho	Hindi	Junglee Pictures Limited	Amit Sharma	The film breaks the stereotype of middle age pregnancy through easy narrative, effective characterization and pithy dialogues.	[45]
2019 (67th)	Maharshi	Telugu	Sri Venkateswara Creations	Vamshi Paidipally	The concept of the film that ingeniously addresses through the protagonist the necessity of our present globally spread youth to get into the grass roots of our culture and encounter the freshly brewed challenges of globalization in the prime area of agriculture.	[46]
2020 (68th)	Tanhaji : The Unsung Warrior	Hindi	Ajay Devgn	Om Raut	For bringing alive on screen exploits of an unsung warrior of the 17th century who continues to arouse renewed interest and patriotic fervour.	[47]
2021 (69th)	RRR	Telugu	D. V. V. Danayya	S. S. Rajamouli	For garnering international acclaim through an epic, emotional story featuring two prominent freedom fighters, with a touch of patriotism.	[48]
2021 (70th)	Kantara	Kannada	Hombale Films	Rishab Shetty		[49]

Explanatory notes

1. Vijay Anand (Leading Actor) and Jaya Bhaduri (Leading Actress) were awarded with Medallion.

References

1. "22nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
2. "23rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
3. "National Film Awards (1976)". Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
4. "25th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
5. "26th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
6. "27th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
7. "28th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
8. "29th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 36. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
9. "30th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
10. "31st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
11. "32nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
12. "33rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
13. "34th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
14. "35th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
15. "36th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
16. "37th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
17. "38th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
18. "39th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
19. "40th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
20. "41st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
21. "42nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
22. "43rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
23. "44th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
24. "45th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
25. "46th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
26. "47th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
27. "48th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
28. "49th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
29. "50th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
30. "51st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
31. "52nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
32. "53rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
33. "54th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
34. "55th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
35. "56th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
36. "57th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
37. "58th National Film Awards, 2010" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
38. "59th National Film Awards for 2011" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
39. "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
40. "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.
41. "62nd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
42. "63rd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
43. "64th National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
44. "65th NATIONAL FILM AWARDS FOR 2017" (PDF). Press Information Bureau . Retrieved 11 June 2022.
45. https://dff.gov.in/images/News/66th_NFA_Results.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
46. "67th National Film Awards announced; Sikkim wins award for Most Film Friendly State".
47. "Om Raut on Tanhaji's Big Win at National Awards: 'Awards and Rewards Are Truly Heartening' | Exclusive". News18. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
48. "69th National Film Awards 2023 complete winners list: Rocketry, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon, Allu Arjun, RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi win big". 24 August 2023.
49. Desk, DH Web. "National Film Awards Live: Kannada cinema shines bright as KGF 2, Kantara bag wins, Rishab Shetty gets best actor prize". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2024.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)

External links

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