65th National Film Awards

The 65th National Film Awards ceremony was an event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals presented its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2017 in Indian cinema. The awards were announced on 13 April 2018.[1] The award ceremony was held on 3 May 2018.[2]

Selection process

The Directorate of Film Festivals invited online entries and the acceptable last date for entries was until 2 March 2018. Feature and Non-Feature Films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between 1 January 2017, and 31 December 2017, were eligible for the film award categories. Books, critical studies, reviews or articles on cinema published in Indian newspapers, magazines, and journals between 1 January 2017, and 31 December 2017, were eligible for the best writing on cinema section. Entries of dubbed, revised or copied versions of a film or translation, abridgements, edited or annotated works and reprints were ineligible for the awards.[3]

For the Feature and Non-Feature Films sections, films in any Indian language, shot on 16 mm, 35 mm, a wider film gauge or a digital format, and released in cinemas, on video or digital formats for home viewing were eligible. Films were required to be certified as a feature film, a featurette or a Documentary/Newsreel/Non-Fiction by the Central Board of Film Certification.[3]

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Introduced in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest award given to recognise the contributions of film personalities towards the development of Indian cinema and for distinguished contributions to the medium, its growth and promotion."[4]

A committee consisting of five eminent personalities from the Indian film industry was appointed to evaluate the lifetime achievement award, Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Name of AwardImageAwardee(s)Awarded AsAwards
Dadasaheb Phalke AwardVinod Khanna(Posthumously)ActorShadan Azeez, 1 million (US$10,000) and a shawl

Feature film

All India Awards

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

All awardees were awarded with the 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Feature FilmVillage RockstarsAssameseProducer and Director: Rima Das 250,000/- Each
Best Debut Film of a DirectorSinjarJasariProducer: Shibu G. SuseelanDirector: Pampally 125,000/- Each
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentBaahubali 2: The ConclusionTeluguProducer: Prasad DevineniDirector: S. S. Rajamouli 200,000/- Each
Best Children's FilmMhorkyaMarathiProducer: Kalyan Rajmogli PadalDirector: Amar Bharat Deokar 150,000/- Each
Best DirectionBhayanakamMalayalamJayaraj 250,000/-

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

All awardees were awarded with the 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Feature Film on National IntegrationDhappaMarathiProducer: Sumatilal Popatlal ShahDirector: Nipun Dharmadhikari 150,000/- Each
Best Film on Other Social IssuesAalorukkamMalayalamProducer: Jolly LonappanDirector: V. C. Abhilash 150,000/- Each
Best Film on Environment/Conservation/PreservationIradaHindiProducer: Irada EntertainmentDirector: Aparnaa Singh 150,000/- Each
Best ActorNagarkirtanBengaliRiddhi Sen 50,000/-
Best ActressMomHindiSridevi(Posthumously) 50,000/-
Best Supporting ActorThondimuthalum DriksakshiyumMalayalamFahadh Faasil 50,000/-
Best Supporting ActressIradaHindiDivya Dutta 50,000/-
Best Child ArtistVillage RockstarsAssameseBhanita Das 50,000/-
Best Male Playback SingerViswasapoorvam Mansoor(For the song "Poy Maranja Kalam")MalayalamK. J. Yesudas 50,000/-
Best Female Playback SingerKaatru Veliyidai(For the song "Vaan Varuvaan")TamilShashaa Tirupati 50,000/-
Best CinematographyBhayanakamMalayalamNikhil S Praveen 50,000/-
Best Screenplay Screenplay Writer (Original)Thondimuthalum DriksakshiyumMalayalamSajeev Pazhoor 50,000/-
Best Screenplay Screenplay Writer (Adapted)BhayanakamMalayalamJayaraj 50,000/-
Best Screenplay DialoguesHello ArsiOdiaSambit Mohanty 50,000/-
Best Audiography Location Sound RecordistVillage RockstarsAssameseMallika Das 50,000/-
Best Audiography Sound designerWalking with the WindLadakhiSanal George 50,000/-
Best Audiography Re-recordist of the Final Mixed TrackWalking with the WindLadakhiJustin Jose 50,000/-
Best EditingVillage RockstarsAssameseRima Das 50,000/-
Best Production DesignTake OffMalayalamSanthosh Raman 50,000/-
Best Costume DesignNagarkirtanBengaliGobinda Mandal 50,000/-
Best Make-up ArtistNagarkirtanBengaliRam Rajjak 50,000/-
Best Music Direction SongsKaatru VeliyidaiTamilA. R. Rahman 50,000/-
Best Music Direction Background ScoreMomHindiA. R. Rahman 50,000/-
Best LyricsMarch 22(For the song "Mutthu Ratna")KannadaJ. M. Prahlad 50,000/-
Best Special EffectsBaahubali 2: The ConclusionTeluguR. C. Kamal Kannan 50,000/-
Best ChoreographyToilet Ek Prem Katha(For the song "Gori Tu Latth Maar")HindiGanesh Acharya 50,000/-
Best Stunt ChoreographerBaahubali 2: The ConclusionTeluguKing Solomon 50,000/-
Special Jury AwardNagarkirtanBengaliProducer: Sani Ghose RayDirector: Kaushik Ganguly 2,00,000/-
Special MentionNewtonHindiPankaj Tripathi(Actor)Certificate only
Take OffMalayalamParvathy(Actress)
Hello ArsiOdiaPrakruti Mishra(Actress)
MhorkyaMarathiYasharaj Karhade (Child artist)

Regional Awards

National Film Awards are also given to the best films in the regional languages of India. Awards for the regional languages are categorised as per their mention in the Eighth schedule of the Constitution of India. Awardees included producers and directors of the film. No films in languages other than those specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution were eligible.

Name of AwardName of FilmAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Feature Film in AssameseIshuProducer: Children's Film SocietyDirector: Utpal Borpujari 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in BengaliMayurakshiProducer: Firdausul Hasan, Prabal HalderDirector: Atanu Ghosh 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in GujaratiDhhProducer: Amruta ParandeDirector: Manish Saini 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in HindiNewtonProducer: Drishyam FilmsDirector: Amit V Masurkar 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in KannadaHebbet RamakkaProducer: S. A. PuttarajuDirector: N. R. Nanjunde Gowda 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in MalayalamThondimuthalum DriksakshiyumProducer: Urvasi TheatresDirector: Dileesh Pothan 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in MarathiKachcha LimbooProducer: Mandar DevasthaliDirector: Prasad Oak 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in OdiaHello ArsiProducer: Ajaya RoutrayDirector: Sambit Mohanty 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in TamilTo LetProducer: Prema ChezhianDirector: Chezhiyan 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in TeluguThe Ghazi AttackProducer: Prasad V. PotluriDirector: Sankalp Reddy 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in Each of the Language Other Than Those Specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Name of AwardName of FilmAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Feature Film in JasariSinjarProducer: Shibu G. SuseelanDirector: Sandeep Pampally 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in LadakhiWalking with the WindProducer: Mahesh MohanDirector: Praveen Morchhale 1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in TuluPaddayiProducer: Nithyananda PaiDirector: Abhaya Simha 1,00,000/- each

Non-Feature Films

Short Films made in any Indian language and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary/newsreel/fiction are eligible for non-feature film section.

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

All awardees were awarded with the 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Director in Non-Feature FilmPavsacha NibandhMarathiNagraj Manjule 150,000/-

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

All awardees are awarded with the 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.

Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best First Non-Feature FilmWater BabyEnglish

Konkan

Producer: Varun ShahDirector: Pia Shah 75,000/- Each
Best Biographical Film / Best Historical Reconstruction / Compilation FilmNaachi se BaanchiHindi

Mundari English

Producer: Films Division of IndiaDirector: Biju Toppo 50,000/- Each (Cash Component to be shared)
Sword of LibertyMalayalamProducer: R. C. SureshDirector: Shiny Jacob Benjamin
Best Arts / Cultural FilmGirijaHindiProducer: Madhu Chandra, Sudha DattaDirector: Debapriya Adhikary, Samanwaya Sarkar 50,000/- Each
Best Environment Film including Best Agricultural FilmThe Pangti StoryEnglish

Naga Lotha

Producer: Rajiv MehrotraDirector: Sesino Yhoshü 50,000/- Each
Best Promotional FilmPoetry on Fabric: ChanderinamaProducer: Sanjay Gupta for Pro Art IndiaDirector: Rajendra Janglay 50,000/- Each
Best Film on Social IssuesI am BonnieBengaliProducer: Films Division of IndiaDirector: Satarupa Santra 50,000/- Each (Cash Component to be shared)
Veil DoneEnglishProducer: Juhi BhattDirector: Rajiv Mehrotra
Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional FilmThe Little Girl We Were and the Women We AreProducer: Rahi FoundationDirector: Vaishali Sood 50,000/- Each
Best Anthropological/Ethnographic FilmName, Place, Animal, ThingHindiProducer and Director: Nithin R. 50,000/- Each (Cash Component to be shared)
Slave GenesisEnglishProducer and Director: Aneez K. Mappila
Best Exploration / Adventure Film (including sports)Ladakh Chale RickshawalaHindiProducer: Films Division of IndiaDirector: Indrani Chakrabarti 50,000/- Each
Best Investigative Film1984, When the Sun Didn't RisePunjabiProducer and Director: Teenaa Kaur Pasricha 50,000/- Each
Best Animation FilmTokri – The BasketSilentProducer: Nilima EriyatDirector: Suresh EriyatAnimator: Studio Eeksaurus 50,000/- Each (Cash Component to be shared)
The Fish Curry Hindi EnglishProducer: Munish TewariDirector and Animator: Abhishek Verma
Best Short Fiction FilmMayatMarathiProducer and Director: Suyash Shinde 50,000/- Each
Best Film on Family WelfareHappy BirthdayMarathiProducer: FTIIDirector: Medhpranav Babasaheb Powar 50,000/- Each
Best CinematographyEye TestMalayalamCameraman: Appu Prabhakar 50,000/- Each (Cash Component to be shared)
DawnCameraman: Arnold Fernandes
Best AudiographyPavsacha NibandhMarathiAvinash Sonawane 50,000/-
Best Audiography Location Sound RecordistThe UnreservedHindiSamarth Mahajan 50,000/-
Best EditingMrityubhoj The Death FeastMarathiSanjiv Monga and Tenzin Kunchok 50,000/- (Cash Component to be shared)
Best Music DirectionShored of LibertyRamesh Narayanan 50,000/-
Best Narration / Voice OverThe Lion of LadakhEnglishFrancois Castellino 50,000/-
Special Jury AwardA Very Old Man with Enormous WingsEnglishProducer: Films Division of IndiaDirector: Prateek Vats 50,000/- Each (Cash Component to be shared)
MondayEnglishProducer: FTIIDirector: Arun K
Special MentionRebirthEnglishJayaraj(Director)Certificate only
Cake StoryHindiRukshana Tabassum(Director)
AfternoonMarathiSwapnil Vasant Kapure (Director)

Best Writing on Cinema

The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through publication of books, articles, reviews etc.

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

All awardees were awarded with the Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal) accompanied with a cash prize.

Name of AwardName of BookLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Book on CinemaMatmagi Manipur: The first Manipuri Feature FilmAuthor: Bobby WahengbamPublisher: Angomningthou Preservation and Documentation 75,000/- Each
Best Film CriticNAEnglishGiridhar Jha 75,000/-
Special Mention (Film Critic)NAHindiSunil MishraCertificate Only

References

  1. "65th National Film Awards LIVE: Sridevi Posthumously Awarded Best Actress; Vinod Khanna Honoured With Dada Saheb Phalke Award". News 18. 13 April 2018. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  2. Press Trust of India (3 May 2012). "Nat Film Awards ceremony to be held on May 3 every year: Soni". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  3. 12"Call for entries; 65th National Film Awards for 2017"(PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived(PDF) from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  4. "17th National Film Awards"(PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 38. Archived(PDF) from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.