68th National Awards: Soorarai Pottru, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior win big

Director Sudha Kongara Prasad’s Tamil movie Soorarai Pottru (2020) has won the award for Best Feature Film at the 68th National Awards announced today by the Ministry information and broadcasting . 

Suriya, the main lead of the film, also won the Best Actor award for the same film jointly with Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020). Devgn’s film also won the Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award. 

Sachidanandan KR won the Best Direction award for his successful Malayalam film Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020). The Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Director went to Madonne Ashwin for the Tamil film Mandela (2021). 

Soorarai Pottru also won the award for Best Actress for Aparna Balamurali. Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli won the award for Best Supporting Actress for Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum (2021) while the Best Supporting Actor award went to Biju Menon for Ayyappanum Koshiyum. 

Madhya Pradesh was declared the ‘Most Film-Friendly State’ while Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh got a special mention in the same category. 

The best book on cinema was awarded to author Kishwar Desai’s The Longest Kiss, which is based on the yesteryear actress Devika Rani’s 400 letters. The award for Best Film Critic wasn’t given to anyone this year as the jury didn’t find any of the entries good enough. 

Reacting to Tanhaji’s triumph at the 68th National awards, Devgn said in a statement, “As the producer of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, it gives me immense joy to receive an honour at the 68th National Film Awards for the Best film that has provided wholesome entertainment. Tanhaji was exactly that. It is a good story of friendship, loyalty, family values and sacrifice. It has strong national sentiments, super VFX and a holistic approach to entertainment. I must share the honour with my director Om Raut, my co-producers, T-Series and my co-actors. Most of all, I thank my creative team who has contributed handsomely to making this a blockbuster and now a National award winner.” 

Full list of awards

Best Direction: Sachidanandan KR for Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Director: Madonne Ashwin for Mandela (Tamil) 
Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) 
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji: The Unsung Hero (Hindi)
Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)
Best Actor: Suriya for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) and Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi) 
Best Child Artiste: Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Tak-Tak (Marathi), Akanksha Pingle and Divyesh Indulkar for Sumi (Marathi) 
Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli for Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum (Tamil)
Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon for Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi 
Best Dimasa Film: Semkhor 
Best Tulu Film: Jeetige
Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo 
Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum 
Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam 
Best Marathi Film: Goshta Eka Paithanichi 
Best Kannada Film: Dollu 
Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior 
Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik  
Best Assamese Film: Bridge 
Best Children’s Film: Sumi (Marathi) 
Best Film on Environment Conservation/ Preservation: Taledanda (Kannada) 
Best Film on Social Issues: Funral (Marathi)

Technical Awards
Best Stunt Choreography: Rajasekhar, Mafia Sasi and Supreme Sunder for Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
Best Choreography: Sandhya Raju for Natyam (Telugu) 
Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for Saina (Hindi) 
Best Music Direction: Thaman S for Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Telugu)
Best Singer (female): Nanchamma for Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
Best Singer (male): Rahul Deshpande for Me Vasantrao (Marathi)
Best Cinematography: Supratim Bhol for Avijatrik (Bengali)
Best Background Music: GV Prakash Kumar for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) 
Best Make-up Artiste: TV Rambabu for Natyam (Telugu)
Best Costume Designer: Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi)
Best Production Design: Anees Nadodi for Kappela (Malayalam) 
Best Editing: Sreekar Prasad for Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum (Tamil)
Best Audiography (Location Sound Recordist): Jobin Jayan for Dollu (Kannada) 
Best Audiography (Sound Designer): Anmol Bhave for Me Vasantrao (Marathi) 
Best Audiography (Re-recordist of the final mixed track): Vishnu Govind and Sree Sankar for Maalik (Malayalam) 
Best Screenplay: Shalini Usha Nair and Sudha Kongara for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) 
Best Dialogue Writer: Madonne Ashwin for Mandela (Tamil) 

Special Mention
Actress Aimee Baruah for Semkhor (Dimasa)
Director Kavya Prakash for Vaanku (Malayalam)
Actor Siddharth Menon for June (Marathi)
Actor Kishore Kadam for Avwanchhit (Marathi) and Godakaath (Marathi)
Child actor Varun Buddhadev for Toolsidas Junior (Hindi)