57th National Film Awards

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry announced the list of awardees for the 57th National Film Awards on 15 Sept 2010 to honor the best work of Indian Cinema for the year 2009. The 57th National Film Awards saw the entry of few awards introduced for Location Sound Recordist and Sound Designer in the Audiography category. In the Adapted Screenplay category, awards would be conferred under the title- Original Screenplay and Dialogues in place of the existing award for Best Screenplay and Dialogues. Malayalam film Kutty Srank was chosen as the Best Feature Film- the highest honour at the National Film Awards. Kutty Srank won 5 awards in different categories, Bollywood films- Paa and 3 Idiots won 4 and 3 awards respectively. Amitabh Bacchan won the Best Actor Award for Paa and Ananya Chatterjee won the Best Actress award for Bengali Film Abahoman. The feature film jury for 2009 included 13 members and was headed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta. The non feature film jury consisted of five members and was headed by Bikram Singh.
 
The list of the awardess in the different categories of the 57th National Film Awards are as follows:
 
• Best Feature Film: Kutty Srank (Malayalam) by Shaji N. Karun
• Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: 3 Idiots by Rajkumar Hirani
• Best Children's Film: Putaani Party (Kannada) by Ramchandra PN and Keshu (Malayalam) by Sivan
• Best Feature Film on National Integration: Delhi 6 (Hindi) by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra.
• Best Film on Other Social Issues: Well Done Abba (Hindi) by Shyam Benegal
• Best Direction: Rituporno Ghosh for Abohoman (Bengali)
• Best Debut Film of A Director: Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan for Lahore (Hindi)
• Best Actor: Amitabh Bachhan for Paa
• Best Actress: Ananya Chatterjee for Abahoman (Bengali)
• Best Supporting Actress: Arundhati Nag for paa (Hindi)
• Best Supporting Actor:     Farooq Sheikh for Lahore (Hindi)
• Best Child Artist:  Kishore and Sri Ram for Pasanga (Tamil)
• Best Male Playback Singer: Rupam Islam for Mahanager @ Kolkata (bengali)
• Best Female Playback Singer: Nilanjana Sarkar for Houseful (Bengali) song - '("Boe Jay Shudhu Bish...")
• Best Cinematography: Kutty Srank (malayalam)
• Best Screenplay (Screenplay Writer-Original): P.F. Mathews  & Harikrishna for Kutty Srank (Malayalam)
• Best Screenplay (Screenplay Writer-Adapted): Gopal Krishan Pai & Girish Kasaravalli  for Kanasemba Kudureyaneri (Kannada)
• Best Screenplay (Dialogues): Pasanga (Tamil)
• Best Audiography (Location Sound Recordist): Subash Sahoo for Kaminey (Hindi)
• Best Audiography (Sound Designer): Resul Pookutty for Keralavarma Pazhassiraja (malayalam)
• Best Audiography (Re-recordist of the Final Mixed Track): Anup Deve for 3 Idiots (Hindi)
• Best Editing: Arghyakamal Mitra for Abahoman (Bengali)
• Best Art Direction: Samir Chanda for Delhi 6 (Hindi)
• Best Costume Design: Jayakaumar for Kutty Srank (Malayalam)
• Best Make-up Artist: Christien Tinsley & Dominie Till for paa (Hindi)
• Best Music Direction: Amit Trivedi for Dev D (Hindi)
• Best Background Music: Ilaiyaraaja for Keralavarma Pazhassiraja (malayalm)
• Best Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire for 3 Idiots-'Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh...'
• Best Special Effects: R. Kamal Kannan for Magadheera ( Telegu)
• Best Choreography: K Shivashankar for Magadheers (Telegu)
• Best Feature Film in Assamese: Basundhara by Hiren Bora
• Best Feature Film in Bengali: Abahoman by Rituporno Ghosh
• Best Feature Film in Hindi: Paa by R. Balakrishnan
• Best Feature Film in Kannada: Kanasemba Kudureyaneri by Girish kasaravalli
• Best Feature Film in Konkani: Keralavarma Pazhassiraja by T. Hariharan
• Best Feature Film in Marathi:     Natarang by Ravindra Harishchandra Jadhav
• Best Feature Film in Tamil: Pasanga by Pandiraj
• Important Information on National Film Awards
 
The National Film Awards, the most prominent film award ceremony in India was established in 1954 and is administrated by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973. a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry every year. The award ceremony is held in New Delhi and the awards are given away by the President of India. The award ceremony is followed by the inauguration of National Film Festival where the award winning films are screened for public viewing.
 
The National Film Awards are presented in two main categories: Feature Films and Non-Feature Films. The juries for selecting the winners in both these categories  are appointed by the Directorate of Film Festivals in India. A list of rules is presented every year in a documment of regulations known as the National Film Award Regulations. For the film to be eligible for the award there is a direct requirement for the makers of a film, and particularly the director, to be Indian nationals. Films entering the competition should be produced in India but if it is co-produced by a foreign entity, there are as many as six conditions which should be fulfilled in order for the film to qualify. A film should be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between 1 January and 31 December to be eligible for consideration by the jury.

The Awards presented to feature films produced in the previous year are given under:
Feature Film Awards
 
The Golden Lotus Awards (Swarna Kamal Award) : This award is presented to the-
• Best FilmBest Direction
• Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
• Best Children's Film
 
Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal Award): The award is presented to the-
•     Best Actor
•     Best Actress
•     Best Supporting Actor
•     Best Supporting Actress
•     Best Child Artist
•     Best Cinematography
•     Best Screenplay
•     Best Art Direction
•     Best Make-up Artist [8]
•     Best Costume Design
•     Best Music Direction
•     Best Lyrics
•     Best Male Playback Singer
•     Best Female Playback Singer
•     Best Choreography
•     Best Audiography
•     Best Editing
•     Best Special Effects
•     Second Best Feature Film
•     Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film)
 
The award is also presented to the Best Feature Film in each of the languages specified in schedule VIII of the constitution like Best Feature Film in Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada tc as well as to feature film in languages not mentioned in schedule VIII like English, Bhojpuri, Monpa and Tulu.  Best Feature Film on Family Welfare, Best Film on Other Social Issues and Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation (all under feature film category) also receive the Silver Lotus Award.
 
Nargis Dutt Award: This award is given to the Best Feature film on National Integration
Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film: This award is given to the film judged Best First Film of a Director at the National Film Awards.
 
Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award: This award is for lifetime achievement and contribution to Indian Cinema and is named after Dadasaheb Phalke, one of India's pioneering film makers.

Non-Feature Film Awards
Under the Non-Feature Film Awards awards are presented in the following categories-
 
•     Best Non-Feature Film
•     Best First Non-Feature Film
•     Best Anthropological/Ethnographic Film
•     Best Biographical Film
•     Best Arts/Cultural Film
•     Best Scientific Film
•     Best Promotional Film
•     Best Agriculture Film
•     Best Film on Social Issues
•     Best Educational/Motivational/Instructional Film
•     Best Environment/Conservation/Preservation Film
•     Best Exploration/Adventure Film
•     Best Investigative Film
•     Best Animated Film
•     Best Short Fiction Film
•     Best Non-Feature Film on Family Welfare
•     Best Non-Feature Film Direction
•     Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography
•     Best Non-Feature Film Audiography
•     Best Non-Feature Film Editing
•     Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction
•     Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Non-Feature Film)

Apart from the mentioned awards, the National Film Awards also recognise Best Book on Cinema and Best Film Critic.