The 71st National Film Awards, India's most prestigious celebration of cinema, were announced on August 1, 2025, in New Delhi. Honoring films certified during 2023, the awards recognized outstanding talent, artistry, and technical excellence from across the country in categories spanning feature films, non-feature films, and special recognitions.
Below is a detailed article with the complete winners list:
Overview
This year, both stalwarts and new talents were celebrated. The top acting honors were shared by Shah Rukh Khan (for "Jawan") and Vikrant Massey (for "12th Fail") as Best Actor, while Rani Mukerji clinched Best Actress for "Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway". "12th Fail" emerged as the Best Feature Film, with notable recognition for regional cinema and technical brilliance across languages
Major Awards
| Category | Winner(s) / Film |
|---|---|
| Best Feature Film | 12th Fail |
| Best Actor | Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan), Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) |
| Best Actress | Rani Mukerji (Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway) |
| Best Director | Sudipto Sen (The Kerala Story) |
| Best Supporting Actor | Vijayaraghavan (Pookalam), Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar (Parking) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Urvashi (Ullozhukku), Janaki (Vash) |
| Best Child Artist | Sukriti Veni Bandreddi (Gandhi Tata Chettu), Kabir Khandane (Gypsy), Treesha Toshar, Shrinivas Pokale, Bhargav (Naal 2) |
| Best Popular Film for Wholesome Entertainment | Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani |
| Best Debut Film | Aatmapamphlet |
| Best Action Direction | Hanu-Man (Telugu) |
| Best Choreography | Vaibhavi Merchant (Dhindhora Baje Re – Rocky Aur Rani...) |
| Best Music Direction (Songs) | Vaathi (Tamil) – G.V. Prakash Kumar |
| Best Music Direction (Background Score) | Animal – Harshavardhan Rameshwar |
| Best Lyrics | Kasarla Shyam (Ooru Palleturu – Balagam) |
| Best Female Playback Singer | Shilpa Rao (Chaliya – Jawan) |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Rohit (Premisthunna – Baby) |
| Best Editing | Midhun Murali (Pookkaalam) |
| Best Sound Design | Sachin Sudhakaran, Hariharan (Animal) |
| Best Production Design | Mohandas (2018: Everyone is a Hero) |
| Best Makeup | Shrikant Desai (Sam Bahadur) |
| Best Costume Design | Sachin, Divya, Nidhhi (Sam Bahadur) |
| Best Cinematography | Prasantanu Mohapatra (The Kerala Story) |
| Best Dialogue | Deepak Kingrani (Sirf Ek Bandha Kaafi Hai) |
| Best Screenplay | Sai Rajesh (Baby), Ramkumar Balakrishnan (Parking) |
Best Regional Films
| Language | Film |
|---|---|
| Telugu | Bhagavanth Kesari |
| Tamil | Parking |
| Punjabi | Godday Godday Chaa |
| Odia | Pushkara |
| Marathi | Shyamchi Aai |
| Malayalam | Ullozhokku |
| Kannada | Kandeelu: The Ray of Hope |
| Hindi | Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery |
| Gujarati | Vash |
| Bengali | Deep Fridge |
| Assamese | Rongatapu 1982 |
| Tai Phake | Pai Tang… Step of Hope |
| Garo | Rimdottianga |
Non-Feature Films
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Best Non-Feature Film: God Vulture and Human
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Best Short Film: Giddh The Scavenger
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Best Children’s Film: Naal 2
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Best Art/Culture Film: Timeless Tamil Nadu
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Best Script: Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know
Special Mention & Technical Awards
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Special Mention (Technical): M.R. Radhakrishnan (Re-recording mixer for Animal)
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Best Action Direction: Hanu-man (Telugu)
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Best Sound Design: Animal
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Best Production Design: 2018: Everyone is a Hero (Malayalam)
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Best Lyrics: Balagam
Observations and Highlights
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Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji have won National Awards for the first time in their careers.
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The prominence of regional cinema continues, with films like Bhagavanth Kesari (Telugu), Parking (Tamil), and Ullozhokku (Malayalam) bagging key awards.
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Notable technical innovations and storytelling skills were honored across categories.
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The feature film 12th Fail stood out as the year’s most celebrated film, clinching Best Feature Film and Best Actor (Vikrant Massey).
These awards continue to reflect the diversity and excellence of Indian cinema, honoring both mainstream and regional films that left a mark in 2023.
