National Film Awards 2024: The 70th National Film Awards, recognizing the finest works of Indian cinema from 2022, were announced in New Delhi today. Rishab Shetty took home the Best Actor award for his performance in Kantara, while the Malayalam film Aattam was honored as the Best Film. Nithya Menen and Mansi Parekh were jointly awarded Best Actress.
A lesser-known aspect of the National Film Awards is the inclusion of cash prizes. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which is India’s most prestigious cinematic honor, comes with a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh. Following this, winners of the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) receive Rs 3 lakh, while recipients of the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) are awarded Rs 2 lakh in various categories.
Swarna Kamal and Rs 3 lakh
The Swarna Kamal is presented in several categories, including Best Film, Debut Film, Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Director, and Best Children’s Film. This year, Aattam’s producer Joy Movie Productions and director Anand Ekarshi earned this distinction for Best Film. Additionally, Pramod Kumar, director of the Haryanvi film Fouja, won the Swarna Kamal for Best Debut Film of a Director.
The producers (Dharma Productions, Prime Focus, Starlight Pictures) and director Ayan Mukerji of the Hindi film Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva, which won Best Film in the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comic) category, also received the Swarna Kamal. Similarly, Sooraj R. Barjatya, who won Best Director for Uunchai, was awarded this prestigious honour.
Kantara received the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, with both the film's producer, Hombale Films LLP, and director Rishab Shetty being honored with the Swarna Kamal and its accompanying cash prize of Rs 3 lakh.
Rajat Kamal and Rs 2 lakh
The Rajat Kamal is awarded in categories such as Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values, acting awards, screenplay, music, and more. This year, recipients of the Rajat Kamal include Rishab Shetty (Best Actor), Nithya Menen and Mansi Parekh (Best Actress), Pavan Raj Malhotra and Neena Gupta (Best Supporting Actor and Actress), and Arijit Singh (Best Male Playback Singer). Additionally, all regional Best Film winners were honored with the Rajat Kamal.
Special mentions
Meanwhile, Manoj Bajpayee and music director Sanjoy Salil Chowdhury received special mentions for their work in Gulmohar (Hindi) and Kadhikan (Malayalam), respectively. However, these accolades came with certificates rather than monetary rewards.