New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): The jury for the 68th National Film Awards announced the winners for the year 2020 on Friday at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.
The event was organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, which comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur congratulated all the winners and said 2020 was a particularly difficult year for films due to the COVID pandemic, yet the nominations consisted of great works.
The minister also thanked the jury for diligently going through the entries and selecting the best for the awards. The jury comprised of eminent filmmakers and film personalities from across Indian cinema.
The awards were announced by Chitrartha Singh, Chairperson, Non-Feature Jury, Anant Vijay, Chairperson, Best Writing on Cinema Jury and Dharam Gulati, Feature Film Jury (Member – Central Panel) in presence of Neerja Sekhar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The Best Actor Award for 2020 is shared between Suriya for ‘Soorarai Pottru’ and Ajay Devgn for the Hindi movie ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’.
Actress Aparna Balamurali bagged the Best Actress award.
Manoj Muntashir has won the award for Best Lyrics for the Hindi movie ‘Saina’.
Madhya Pradesh won the ‘Most Film Friendly State’ award while Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh got Special Mention.
‘The Longest Kiss’ by Kishwar Desai wons Best Book on Cinema for the year while Malayalam book ‘MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam’ and Odia book ‘Kali Paine Kalira Cinema’ won a special mention.
Here is a complete list of the awards:
Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil); Producer: 2D Entertainment Pvt.Ltd; Director: Sudha Kongara
Best Actor: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil); Actor: Suriya & Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi); Actor: Ajay Devgn
Best Actress: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil); Actress: Aparrna Balamurali
Best Direction: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam); Director: Sachidanandan KR
Best Supporting Actor: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam); Supporting Actor: Biju Menon
Best Supporting Actress: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum (Tamil); Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli
Best Children’s Film: Sumi (Marathi); Producer: Harshall Kamat Entertainment; Director: Amol Vasant Gole
Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation: Taledanda (Beheading a Life) (Kannada) Producer: Krupanidhi Kreations; Director: Praveen Krupakar
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); Producer: Before After Entertainment; Director: Vivek Dubey
Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi); Producer: Ajay Devgn FFilms; Director: Om Raut
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Mandela (Tamil) ; Producer: YNOT Studios; Director: Madonne Ashwin
Best Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)
Best Cinematography: Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu) (Bengali); Cameraman: Supratim Bhol
Best Female Playback Singer: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam); Singer: Nanchamma
Best Male Playback Singer: Mi Vasantrao (I Am Vasantrao) (Marathi); Singer: Rahul Deshpande
Best Music Direction: Ala Vaikunthapuramuloo
Best Child Artist: Tak-Tak (Marathi); Child Artist:
Anish Mangesh Gosavi; Sumi (Marathi); Child Artist: Akanksha Pingle & Divyesh Indulkar
Best Hindi Film: Toolsidar Junior
Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik
Best Malayalam Film: Engagement on Monday (English translation)
Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo
Best Kannada Film: Dollu
Best Marathi Film: Tale of a Paithani (translation)
Best Assamese Film: Bridge
Best Choreography: Natyam
(ANI)
