71st National Film Awards 2025: Full Winners List, Highlights & Analysis

71st National Film Awards

 

71st National Film Awards: Celebrating the Best of Indian Cinema

The 71st National Film Awards honor the finest in Indian cinema for films certified during 2023. The awards were announced on 1 August 2025 by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, and the ceremony was held on 23 September 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, presented the honors.

With 332 entries in the feature film category and 115 in non-feature films, along with submissions in literature/criticism, the jury evaluated works across languages and artistic domains.

This edition of the National Awards was notable for several “firsts” and landmark wins — from Shah Rukh Khan’s first National Award to regional films getting wide recognition.

Below is a deep dive into the winners, jury, highlights, and key takeaways.

71 national film award - Dadasaheb Phalke Award (Lifetime)- Mohanlal

(71st National Film Awards – Dadasaheb Phalke Award (Lifetime)- Mohanlal)


Jury & Selection Process

  • Films certified between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023 by the Central Board of Film Certification were eligible.
  • The selection process spanned feature, non-feature, and writing on cinema categories.
  • The jury for Dadasaheb Phalke Award included Mithun Chakraborty, Shankar Mahadevan, and Ashutosh Gowariker.

Major Highlights & Trends

Highlight Details
Most Awards by Films Animal, Parking, and Sam Bahadur each won 3 awards (the highest this year)
First National Awards Shah Rukh Khan (Best Actor for Jawan) and Rani Mukerji (Best Actress for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway) got their first National Awards.
Regional Cinema Shine Gujarati film Vash won Best Gujarati Feature; significant wins across Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Odia, etc.
Lifetime Honor Malayalam superstar Mohanlal received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.
Shared Awards Best Actor was shared between Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey

71 national film award - Best Actress (Leading) - Rani Mukherji

(71 national film award – Best Actress (Leading) – Rani Mukherji)


71st National Film Awards – Full Winners List

Below is a curated list of major awards and regional categories. (For the complete detailed list, refer to the official citation or appendix.)

Category Winner(s) Film(s) / Notes
Dadasaheb Phalke Award (Lifetime) Mohanlal
Best Feature Film (Golden Lotus) 12th Fail Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Best Actor (Leading) Shah Rukh Khan / Vikrant Massey Jawan / 12th Fail (shared)
Best Actress (Leading) Rani Mukerji Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway
Best Direction Sudipto Sen The Kerala Story
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
Best Supporting Actor Vijayaraghavan; Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar Pookkalam; Parking
Best Supporting Actress Urvashi; Janaki Bodiwala Ullozhukku; Vash
Best Music Direction (Songs / BGM) G. V. Prakash Kumar / Harshavardhan Rameshwar Vaathi (songs) / BGM
Best Male Playback Singer P.V.N. S. Rohit Baby (Telugu)
Best Female Playback Singer Shilpa Rao Jawan (Hindi)
Best Cinematography Prasanthanu Mohapatra The Kerala Story (Cinematographer)
Best Editing Midhun Murali Pookkalam
Best Sound Design Sachin Sudhakaran, Hariharan Muralidharan Animal
Best Production Design Mohandas 2018 – Everyone is a Hero
Best Make-up Shrikanth Desai Sam Bahadur
Best Costume Design Sachin, Divya, Nidhhi Sam Bahadur
Best Debut Film of a Director Ashish Avinash Bende Aatmapamphlet

Regional Language Film Awards (Some Picks)

  • Best Hindi Film: Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery
  • Best Telugu Film: Bhagavanth Kesari
  • Best Tamil Film: Parking
  • Best Gujarati Film: Vash
  • Best Odia Film: Pushkara

71 national film award - Best Actor - Shah Rukh Khan

( 71st National Film Awards – Best Actor (Leading) – Shah Rukh Khan)


Analysis & Insights

  1. Mainstream meets merit
    This edition signals a bridging of commercial cinema and critical recognition. Big names like Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji get honored, but regional and smaller films also shine, reinforcing the Awards’ balanced approach.
  2. Shared awards — a trend
    The Best Actor award being shared is notable — reflecting comparable performances and the jury’s willingness to recognize equals.
  3. Strong technical & music presence
    Films like Animal, Parking, and Sam Bahadur dominated in technical categories like sound, design, and costumes — showing that craft is as valued as star power.
  4. Regional diversity
    The spread of awards across languages (Gujarati, Tamil, Odia, etc.) highlights the national scope of the Awards.
  5. First-time laureates
    Some winners received their first National Award after long careers (e.g., SRK), which generates considerable public interest and media attention.

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