National Film Awards: Winner List

National Film Awards: Winner List

The 71st National Film Awards, recognizing cinematic excellence for films certified in 2023, were announced on August 1, 2025, at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.

Major highlights and winners

• Best Feature Film: Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail took home the prestigious award for Best Feature Film.

• Best Actor (Tied): In a notable tie, Shah Rukh Khan received his first National Award for Best Actor for his performance in Jawan, sharing the honor with Vikrant Massey for his role in 12th Fail.

• Best Actress: Rani Mukerji won Best Actress for her powerful portrayal in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.

• Best Direction: Sudipto Sen was awarded Best Director for the Hindi film The Kerala Story.

• Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was recognized in this category.

• Best Hindi Film: Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery won the award for Best Hindi Film.

Other notable winners

• Best Supporting Actor: Vijayaraghavan (for the Malayalam film Ullozhokku) and Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar (for the Tamil film Parking) shared the award for Best Supporting Actor.

• Best Supporting Actress: Janki Bodiwala (for the Gujarati film Vash) and Urvashi (for the Malayalam film Ullozhokku) were honored with Best Supporting Actress awards.

• Best Music Direction (Background Score): Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal received recognition in this technical category.

• Best Sound Design: Animal also won an award for Best Sound Design.

• Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values: Sam Bahadur won in this category.

• Best Female Playback Singer: Shilpa Rao won this award for the song in Jawan.

• Best Makeup & Best Costume Design: Sam Bahadur was also recognized for Best Makeup and Best Costume Design.

Recognition of regional cinema: The awards continued to highlight the diversity of Indian cinema, recognizing excellence in various languages:

• Best Malayalam Film: Ullazhukku

• Best Tamil Film: Parking

• Best Telugu Film: Bhagavanth Kesari

The awards ceremony promises a celebratory event where these winners will be formally felicitated by the President of India at a later date. These awards serve to encourage the production of films that are not only aesthetically and technically excellent but also socially relevant, promoting the rich diversity of Indian culture.