Indian National Film Awards: Sachy best director; honours for Aparna Balamurali, Biju Menon: Full List of Awardees

Actor Prithviraj, Sachi and Biju Menon on the sets of “Ayyappanum Koshiyum”

NEW DELHI July 23: Tamil film “Soorarai Pottru” won the National Award for Best Feature, Best Actor and Best Actress at the 68th National Film Awards for 2020 announced on Friday.

The second big winner of the day was Ajay Devgn-starrer “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior” which bagged the awards for Best Actor for Devgn and Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

Directed by Om Raut, “Tanhaji…” is based on the life of Tanaji Malusare, the military leader of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s army. Set in the 17th century, the film also won the Best Costume Designer for Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla.

Devgn shared the Best Actor award with Suriya, who got it for “Soorarai Pottru”. The film, inspired by the life of Air Deccan founder Capt G R Gopinath, also won Aparrna Balamurali the Best Actress prize.

The Bollywood star, who has previously won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performances in “Zakhm” (1998) and “The Legend of Bhagat Singh” (2002), said he was elated to receive the honour for the third time.

“I’m elated to win the Best Actor Award for ‘Tanhaji—The Unsung Warrior’ at the 68th National Awards along with Suriya who won for ‘Soorarai Pottru’.

“I thank everyone, most of all my creative team, the audience and my fans. I also express my gratitude to my parents and the Almighty for their blessings. Congratulations to all the other winners,” Devgn said in a statement.

“Soorarai Pottru” also won Best Screenplay for Shalini Usha Nair and director Sudha Kongara as well as Best Music Direction (Background Score) for GV Prakash Kumar.

The late Malayalam filmmaker Sachidanandan KR was posthumously named Best Director for “Ayyappanum Koshiyum”, which also won Best Supporting Actor for Biju Menon, Best Action Direction (Stunt Choreography) and Best Playback Female Singer for Nanchamma.

The Best Playback Singer Male was given to Rahul Deshpande for Marathi film “Mi Vasantrao”.

Tamil artiste Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli was named the Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Tamil movie “Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum”, which also received the Best Editing award for Sreekar Prasad.

The Best Hindi Film prize went to “Toolsidas Junior”, directed by Mridul Toolsidas. The Ashutosh Gowariker production, which was the last film appearance of late actor Rajiv Kapoor, also received a Special Jury Mention for child actor Varun Buddhadev.

In the music category, Thaman S won the Best Music Direction (Songs) for Allu Arjun’s Telugu hit “Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo”, while Best Lyrics was given to Manoj Muntashir for Hindi film “Saina”.

Telugu movie “Natyam” won awards for Best Make-up Artist (TV Rambabu) and Best Choreography (Sandhya Raju).

Filmmaker Madonne Ashwin won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut film of a Director for his Tamil venture “Mandela”. He was also given the Best Dialogue writer prize for the film.

Best Cinematography award went to Supratim Bhol for the Bengali movie “Avijatrik”.

The winners for the 68th National Film Awards were selected by the 10-member jury headed by Hindi filmmaker Vipul Shah. The awards were announced by jury member Dharam Gulati.

The prize for the Most Film Friendly state went to Madhya Pradesh, with Special Mention for Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Author Kishwar Desai’s “The Longest Kiss”, based on 10 years of research and 400 letters written by cinema icon Devika Rani, received the award for the Best Book on Cinema.

Here is the full list of awardees:

Most Film Friendly State: Madhya Pradesh (Special mention: Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh)

Best Book on Cinema: The Longest Kiss by Kishwar Desai (Special mention: MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam by Anoop Ramakrishnan, Kali Paine Kalira Cinema by Surya Deo)

Feature Films

Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru

Best Direction: KR Sachidanandan (Ayyappanum Koshiyum)

Best Film: Soorarai Pottru

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji:The Unsung Warrior

Best Debut Film of a Director: Madonne Ashwin (Mandela)

Best Actor: Suriya (Soorarai Pottru – Tamil) and Ajay Devgn (Tanhaji – Hindi)

Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali (Soorarai Pottru – Tamil)

Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon (Ayyappanum Koshiyum – Malayalam)

Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmipriya Chandramouli (Sivaranjiniyum Sila Pengalum – Tamil)

Best Music Direction (Songs): Thaman S (Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo – Telugu)

Best Background Score: GV Prakash (Soorarai Pottru – Tamil)

Best Female Playback Singer: Nanjiyamma (Ayyappanum Koshiyum – Malayalam)

Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande (Mi Vasantrao – Marathi)

Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo

Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam

Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum

Best Kannada Film: Dollu

Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior

Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu)

Best Marathi Film: Goshta Eka Paithanichi (Tale of a Paithani)

Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi

Best Dimasa Film: Semkhor

Best Tulu Film: Jeetige

Best Assamese Film: Bridge

Best Action Direction: Rajasekhar, Mafia Sasi and Supreme Sunder (Ayyappanum Koshiyum)

Best Choreography: Sandhya Raju (Natyam)

Special Jury Award: Aimee Baruah (Semkhor), Kavya Prakash (Vaanku), Siddharth Menon (June), Kishore Kadam (Godakaath, Avwanchhit), Varun Buddhadev (Toolsidas Junior)

Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir (Saina)

Best Make-up Artist: T V Rambabu (Natyam)

Best Costumes: Nachiket Barve, Mahesh Sherla (Tanhaji:The Unsung Warrior)

Best Production Design: Anees Nadodi (Kappela)

Best Editing: Sreekar Prasad (Sivaranjiniyum Sila Pengalum)

Best Audiography: Location Sound Recordist (for sync sound films only): Jobin Jayan (Dollu)

Best Audiography: Sound Designer: Anmol Bhave (Mi Vasantrao)

Best Audiography: Re- recordist of the final mixed track: Vishnu Govind & Sree Sankar (Malik)

Best Screenplay (Original): Shalini Usha Nair, Sudha Kongara (Soorarai Pottru)

Best Screenplay (Dialogues): Madonne Ashwin (Mandela)

Best Cinematography: Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu, Bengali)

Best Children’s Film: Sumi (Marathi)

Best Film on Environment: Taledanda – Beheading a Life, (Kannada)

Best Film on Social Issues: Funeral (Marathi)

Best Film on National Integration:

Best Child Artist: Anish Mangesh Gosavi (Tak-Tak), Akanksha Pingle (Sumi), Divyesh Indulkar (Sumi)

Non-Feature Films

Best Non-Feature Film: Testimony of Ana (Dangi)

Best Voice-over/ Narration: Shobha Tharoor Sreenivasan for Rhapsody of Rains – Monsoons of Kerala (English)

Best Music Direction: Vishal Bharadwau for 1232 Kms: Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar (Hindi)

Best Editing: Anadi Athaley for Borderlands (Bengali, Nepali, Manipuri, Hindi and Punjabi)

Best Audiography: Ajit Singh Rathore for Pearl of the Desert (Rajasthani)

Best Cinematography: Nikhil S Praveen for Shabdikkunna Kalappa (Malayalam)

Best Direction: RV Ramani for Oh That’s Bhanu (English, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi)

Best Film on Family Values: Kumkumarchan — Director: Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi and Producer: Studio Filmy Monks

Best Short Fiction Film: Kachichinthu (Karbi) — Producer and director: Khanjan Kishore Nath

Special Jury Award: Admitted (Hindi and English)– Director: Ojaswee Sharma

Best Investigative Film: The Saviour: Brig. Pritam Singh (Punjabi) – Director: Dr Paramjeet Singh Kattu and Producer: Akal Productions

Best Exploration Film: Wheeling the ball (English and Hindi) – Director: Mukesh Sharma and Producer: Film Division

Best Educational Film: Dreaming of Words (Malayalam) – Director and Producer: Nandan

Best Film on Social Issues: Justice Delayed but Delivered (Hindi)

Best Environment Film: Manah Aru Manuh (English)

Best Promotional Film: Surmounting Challenges (English)

Best Science and Technology Film: On the Bricks and Season 2 – Bats (English)

Best Arts and Culture Film: Naadada Navaneeta Dr PT Venkateshkumar (Kannada)

Best Biographical Film: Pabung Syam (Manipuri)

Best Ethnographic Film: Mandal Ke Bol (Hindi)

Best Debut Non-Feature Film of a Director: Pariah (Marathi and Hindi)