Recently, the 70th National Film Awards were announced by the Government.

• About: The National Film Awards are prestigious honours conferred annually for films produced in the previous year across India. 
• Established in: 1954
• Award Selection Process:  According to the Directorate of Film Festivals, the jury deciding the winners comprises “persons distinguished in the field of cinema, other allied arts and humanities”.
• Presented by: They are presented by the President of India each year for the films of the preceding year.
• History and Evolution
  • Inception: The National Film Awards were first presented in 1954 as the ‘State Awards‘, initially recognizing the best films in about a dozen regional languages.
  • Expansion: In 1968, the awards were expanded to include separate categories for artists and technicians.
• Notable First Winners
  • Best Actress: Nargis won the inaugural Best Actress Award for her role as a schizophrenia patient in Raat Aur Din.
  • Best Actor: Uttam Kumar received the Best Actor Award for his performances in Antony Firingee and Chiriyakhana.
• Current Categories
  • Features: Awards given for achievements in feature films.
  • Non-Features: Awards recognizing excellence in non-feature films.
  • Best Writing on Cinema: Awards aimed at encouraging the study and appreciation of cinema as an art form.
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award: The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is part of the National Film Awards.
  • The Award is named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, the pioneering filmmaker who gave India its first film– ‘Raja Harishchandra’, in 1913.
  • Honoured with the highest award in the field of cinema, the recipients are recognized for their ‘outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema’. 

Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store

DOWNLOAD PDF