The 69th National Film Awards released the winners’ list at 5 PM on Thursday and the internet is loving the results as the winners showed their gratitude and happiness on the same!

The awards were first held in 1954 and were known as the ‘State Awards’. Back then, only the best films in different regional languages were awarded. The awards for actors and technicians working on the films were first given in 1967. Nargis Dutt was the first actor to win Best Actress for her performance in ‘Raat Aur Din’. Uttam Kumar won the Best Actor award for ‘Antony Firingee’ and ‘Chiriyakhana’ that year too.

It started with Devi Sri Prasad winning Best Music Director for Puspa, SL Bhansali winning Best Editor for Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Pallavi Joshi and Pankaj Tripathi sharing Best Supporting Actors for Kashmir Files and Mimi respectively. Thereafter, Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon tied for Best Actress for Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mimi respectively while Allu Arjun was crowned Best Actor.

Best Film Award

‘Kashmir Files’ won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Film on National Integration. Vivek Agnihotri, the director said, “It was never my film, but people's”

Devi Sri Prasad thanked all by saying, “I thank the people for accepting, loving the music.” He also expressed is genuine shock to win despite ‘RRR’ bagging an Oscar. "First of all, we were expecting the award as they won an Oscar also. Despite that Pushpa and RRR have won in the music category, it is a big honour. Keeravani sir got the award for best background score, big congratulations to him, to Rajamouli sir and the entire RRR team, Jr NTR and (Ram) Charan. Pushpa won for the songs, I am very grateful for it,” he added.

Malayalam film ‘Nayattu’ bagged award for Best Original Screenplay. Sahi Kabir won award for Best Screenplay Original while SL Bhansali and Utkarshini Vashishtha shared for Best Screenplay Adapted.

Best Dialogue Writer was tied between Utkarshini Vashishtha and Prakash Kapadia.

Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham won several awards like Best Hindi Film, Best Cinematography to Avik Mukhopadyay, Best Audiography to Sino Joseph, Best Production Design to Dmitrii Malich and Mansi Dhriv Mehta as well as Best Costume Design to Veera Kapur E.

‘Chello Show’ a Gujarati film also won the title of Best Gujarati Film. Dheer Momaya, producer of the film said, "I thought that my heart was full after getting a nod at the Oscars, but getting recognition on home soil just hits differently."

Special Jury award was enjoyed by ‘Shershaah’ to which Karan Johar took to the internet to share his gratitude, "What an absolute honour! Extending my deepest gratitude to @mib_india & to the esteemed @official.anuragthakur for recognising our film #Shershaah worthy of the prestigious National Award," he shared.

"You will so rarely find all the right people at the right time - come together with their buzzing creative energies and passion to create something special…that turns into something EXTRAORDINARY! Shershaah was that for us. Thank you for giving us your unabashed love. Yeh dil maange more," Johar opined.

‘RRR’ has been the flagbearer film for India globally and won 6 awards on home soil namely Best Music Director to MM Keeravani, Best Music Director to V Srinivas Mohan, Best Male Playback Singer to Kaala Bhairava for his song ‘Maatava Chaayava’ and Best Action Direction to King Soloman.

Nikhil Mahajan was named Best Director for Marathi Film ‘Godavari’  Starring Neena Kulkarni, Jitendra Joshi and Vikram Gokhale. The film tells the story of a family living on the banks of the Godavari river in Nashik.

Esha Deol was also on cloud nine for receiving a special mention for her short film ‘Ek Duaa’

Finally, R Madhavan starrer ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ won the Best Feature Film for which Madhavan took to the internet to extend his heartfelt thanks to the audience and the icon Nambi Narayana himself. He said, "On Wednesday, after the victory of Chandrayaan-3, I could not think I could get any happier but on Thursday, with the big win for Rocketry and a childlike-glee on Nambi Narayanan sir’s face, it has been the ultimate reward! Five years of agony, pain, blood and sweat vanished in that one second when we called Nambi Sir and saw his face this morning. I’m very grateful to the audience, the jury and to the public for the kind of recognition we have got. It urges me to do even better than I can. I’m flattered, touched and quite speechless."

Shreya Ghoshal also won a National Award for singing ‘Maayava Chaayava’ for the film ‘RRR’.

Many other winners among them have celebrated their recognition and victory and through them the art of celluloid entertainment.

Please, also have a look into : Big wins at National Film Awards 2023: Rocketry, RRR best films, Alia and Kriti get best Actress and Allu Arjun best Actor