65th National Film Awards


The 65th National Film Awards ceremony was an event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals presented its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2017 in Indian cinema. The awards were announced on 13 April 2018. The award ceremony was held on 3 May 2018.

Selection process

The Directorate of Film Festivals invited online entries and the acceptable last date for entries was until 2 March 2018. Feature and Non-Feature Films certified by Central Board of Film Certification between 1 January 2017, and 31 December 2017, were eligible for the film award categories. Books, critical studies, reviews or articles on cinema published in Indian newspapers, magazines, and journals between 1 January 2017, and 31 December 2017, were eligible for the best writing on cinema section. Entries of dubbed, revised or copied versions of a film or translation, abridgements, edited or annotated works and reprints were ineligible for the awards.
For the Feature and Non-Feature Films sections, films in any Indian language, shot on 16 mm, 35 mm, a wider film gauge or a digital format, and released in cinemas, on video or digital formats for home viewing were eligible. Films were required to be certified as a feature film, a featurette or a Documentary/Newsreel/Non-Fiction by the Central Board of Film Certification.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Introduced in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest award given to recognise the contributions of film personalities towards the development of Indian cinema and for distinguished contributions to the medium, its growth and promotion."
A committee consisting five eminent personalities from Indian film industry was appointed to evaluate the lifetime achievement award, Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Name of AwardAwardeeAwarded AsAwards
Dadasaheb Phalke AwardVinod Khanna ActorSwarna Kamal, and a shawl

Feature Film

Golden Lotus Awards

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award ', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardeeCash Prize
Best Feature FilmVillage RockstarsAssameseProducer: Rima Das
Director: Rima Das
250,000/- Each
Best Debut Film of a DirectorSinjarJasariProducer: Shibu G. Suseelan
Director: Sandeep Pampally
125,000/- Each
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentTeluguProducer: Prasad Devineni
Director: S. S. Rajamouli
200,000/- Each
Best Children's FilmMhorkyaMarathiProducer: Kalyan Rajmogli Padal
Director: Amar Bharat Deokar
150,000/- Each
Best DirectionBhayanakamMalayalamJayaraj 250,000/-

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award ', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardeeCash Prize
Best Feature Film on National IntegrationDhappaMarathiProducer: Sumatilal Popatlal Shah
Director: Nipun Dharmadhikari
150,000/- Each
Best Film on Other Social IssuesAalorukkamMalayalamProducer: Jolly Lonappan
Director: V. C. Abhilash
150,000/- Each
Best Film on Environment/Conservation/PreservationIradaHindiProducer: Irada Entertrainment
Director: Aparnaa Singh
150,000/- Each
Best ActorNagarkirtanBengaliRiddhi Sen 50,000/-
Best ActressMomHindiSridevi 50,000/-
Best Supporting ActorThondimuthalum DriksakshiyumMalayalamFahadh Faasil 50,000/-
Best Supporting ActressIradaHindiDivya Dutta 50,000/-
Best Child ArtistVillage RockstarsAssameseBhanita Das 50,000/-
Best Male Playback SingerViswasapoorvam Mansoor
MalayalamK. J. Yesudas 50,000/-
Best Female Playback SingerKaatru Veliyidai
TamilShashaa Tirupati 50,000/-
Best CinematographyBhayanakamMalayalamNikhil S Praveen 50,000/-
Best Screenplay
Screenplay Writer
Thondimuthalum DriksakshiyumMalayalamSajeev Pazhoor 50,000/-
Best Screenplay
Screenplay Writer
BhayanakamMalayalamJayaraj 50,000/-
Best Screenplay
Dialogues
Hello ArsiOdiaSambit Mohanty 50,000/-
Best Audiography
Location Sound
Recordist
Village RockstarsAssameseMallika Das 50,000/-
Best Audiography
Sound Designer
Walking With The WindLadakhiSanal George 50,000/-
Best Audiography
Re-recordist of the Final Mixed Track
Walking With The WindLadakhiJustin Jose 50,000/-
Best EditingVillage RockstarsAssameseRima Das 50,000/-
Best Production DesignTake OffMalayalamSanthosh Raman 50,000/-
Best Costume DesignNagarkirtanBengaliGobinda Mandal 50,000/-
Best Make-up ArtistNagarkirtanBengaliRam Rajjak 50,000/-
Best Music Direction
Songs
Kaatru VeliyidaiTamilA. R. Rahman 50,000/-
Best Music Direction
Background Score
MomHindiA. R. Rahman 50,000/-
Best LyricsMarch 22
KannadaJ. M. Prahlad 50,000/-
Best Special Effects'TeluguR. C. Kamalakannan 50,000/-
Best ChoreographyToilet Ek Prem Katha
HindiGanesh Acharya 50,000/-
Best Stunt Choreographer'Telugu
King Solomon
Lee Whittaker
Kecha Khamphakdee
50,000/-
Special Jury AwardNagarkirtanBengaliProducer: Sani Ghose Ray
Director: Kaushik Ganguly
2,00,000/-
Special MentionNewtonHindiPankaj Tripathi Certificate only
Special MentionTake OffMalayalamParvathy Certificate only
Special MentionHello ArsiOdiaPrakruti Mishra Certificate only
Special MentionMhorkyaMarathiYasharaj Karhade Certificate only

Regional Awards

National Film Awards are also given to the best films in the regional languages of India. Awards for the regional languages are categorised as per their mention in the Eighth schedule of the Constitution of India. Awardees included producers and directors of the film. No films in languages other than those specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution were eligible.
Name of AwardName of FilmAwardeeCash Prize
Best Feature Film in AssameseIshuProducer: Children's Film Society
Director: Utpal Borpujari
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in BengaliMayurakshiProducer: Firdausul Hasan, Prabal Halder
Director: Atanu Ghosh
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in GujaratiDhhProducer: Amruta Parande
Director: Manish Saini
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in HindiNewtonProducer: Drishyam Films
Director: Amit V Masurkar
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in KannadaHebbet RamakkaProducer: S. A. Puttaraju
Director: N. R. Nanjunde Gowda
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in MalayalamThondimuthalum DriksakshiyumProducer: Urvasi Theatres
Director: Dileesh Pothan
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in MarathiKachcha LimbooProducer: Mandar Devasthali
Director: Prasad Oak
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in OdiaHello ArsiProducer: Ajaya Routray
Director: Sambit Mohanty
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in TamilTo LetProducer: Prema Chezhian
Director: Chezhiyan
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in TeluguThe Ghazi AttackProducer: Prasad V. Potluri
Director: Sankalp Reddy
1,00,000/- each

;Best Feature Film in Each of the Language Other Than Those Specified In the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Name of AwardName of FilmAwardeeCash Prize
Best Feature Film in JasariSinjarProducer: Shibu G. Suseelan
Director: Sandeep Pampally
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in LadakhiWalking With The WindProducer: Mahesh Mohan
Director: Praveen Morchhale
1,00,000/- each
Best Feature Film in TuluPaddayiProducer: Nithyananda Pai
Director: Abhaya Simha
1,00,000/- each

Non-Feature Films

Short Films made in any Indian language and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary/newsreel/fiction are eligible for non-feature film section.

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award ', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardeeCash Prize
Best Director in Non-Feature FilmPavasacha NibandhaMarathiNagraj Manjule 150,000/-

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal
All the Awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award ' and cash prize.
Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardeeCash Prize
Best First Non-Feature FilmWater BabyProducer: Varun Shah
Director: Pia Shah
75,000/- Each
Best Biographical Film / Best Historical Reconstruction / Compilation FilmNaachi se BaanchiProducer: Films Division of India
Director: Biju Toppo
50,000/- Each
Best Biographical Film / Best Historical Reconstruction / Compilation FilmSword of LibertyProducer: R. C. Suresh
Director: Shiny Jacob Benjamin
50,000/- Each
Best Arts / Cultural FilmGirijaProducer: Madhu Chandra, Sudha Datta
Director: Debapriya Adhikary, Samanwaya Sarkar
50,000/- Each
Best Environment Film including Best Agricultural FilmThe Pangti StoryProducer: Rajiv Mehrotra
Director: Sesino Yhoshü
50,000/- Each
Best Promotional FilmPoetry on Fabric : ChanderinamaProducer: Sanjay Gupta for Pro Art India
Director: Rajendra Janglay
50,000/- Each
Best Film on Social IssuesI am BonnieProducer: Films Division of India
Director: Satarupa Santra
50,000/- Each
Best Film on Social IssuesVeil DoneProducer: Juhi Bhatt
Director: Rajiv Mehrotra
50,000/- Each
Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional FilmThe Little Girl We Were and the Women We AreProducer: Rahi Foundation
Director: Vaishali Sood
50,000/- Each
Best Anthropological/Ethnographic FilmName, Place, Animal, ThingProducer and Director: Nithin R. 50,000/- Each
Best Anthropological/Ethnographic FilmSlave GenesisProducer and Director: Aneez K. M. 50,000/- Each
Best Exploration / Adventure Film Ladakh Chale RichawalaProducer: Films Division of India
Director: Indrani Chakrabarti
50,000/- Each
Best Investigative Film1984, When the Sun Didn't RiseProducer and Director: Teenaa Kaur 50,000/- Each
Best Animation FilmTokri - The BasketProducer: Nilima Eriyat
Director: Suresh Eriyat
Animator: Studio Eeksaurus
50,000/- Each
Best Animation FilmThe Fish CurryHindi
English
Producer: Munish Tewari
Director and Animator: Abhishek Verma
50,000/- Each
Best Short Fiction FilmMayatMarathiProducer and Director: Suyash Shinde 50,000/- Each
Best Film on Family WelfareHappy BirthdayProducer: FTII
Director: Medhpranav Babasaheb Powar
50,000/- Each
Best CinematographyEye TestCameraman: Appu Prabhakar 50,000/- Each
Best CinematographyDawnCameraman: Arnold Fernandes 50,000/- Each
Best AudiographyPavasacha NibandhaMarathiAvinash Sonawane 50,000/-
Best Audiography
Location Sound Recordist
The UnreservedSamarth Mahajan 50,000/-
Best EditingMrityubhoj The Death FeastMarathiSanjiv Monga and Tenzin Kunchok 50,000/-
Best Music DirectionShored of LibertyRamesh Narayanan 50,000/-
Best Narration / Voice OverThe Lion of LaddakFrancois Castellino 50,000/-
Special Jury AwardA Very Old Man with Enormous WingsProducer: Films Division of India
Director: Prateek Vats
50,000/- Each
Special Jury AwardMondayProducer: FTII
Director: Arun K
50,000/- Each
Special MentionRebirthJayaraj Certificate only
Special MentionCake StoryRukshana Tabassum Certificate only
Special MentionAfternoonSwapnil Vasant Kapure Certificate only

Best Writing on Cinema

The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through publication of books, articles, reviews etc.

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with the Golden Lotus Award accompanied with a cash prize.
Name of AwardName of BookLanguageAwardeeCash Prize
Best Book on CinemaMatmagi Manipur: The first Manipuri Feature FilmAuthor: Bobby Wahengbam
Publisher: Angomningthou Preservation and Documentation
75,000/- Each
Best Film CriticNAEnglishGiridhar Jha 75,000/-
Special Mention NAHindiSunil MishraCertificate Only