The 71st National Awards were presented at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
From All We Imagine As Light to Kishkindha Kaandam, these outstanding films deserved National Film Awards far more than several of this year's winners.
Shah Rukh Khan won his first National Film Award for best actor for Jawan, sharing the honour with Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail. Rani Mukerji was named best actress for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. 12th Fail was adjudged best feature film.
Sooraj R Barjatya was judged Best Director for the Hindi movie Uunchai at the National Film Awards.
'Winning awards, everything, I don't think you can plan all these things. You don't go out there wanting to make a film saying, 'this film will win an award'. You can't do art with that intent.'
'We should focus on creating cinema which is entertaining, gives us solace, some message, reduces our tension and makes us think positively.'
Pandiraj talks about winning the National Award for his Tamil film.
'No small artistic film can even hope to win, except, maybe, as random tokenism,' asserts Deepa Gahlot.
'I could place her in any song situation, sad, happy, bhajan, cabaret, fun song... she took just a few minutes to catch the tune.'
The 10-member jury was headed by filmmaker Vipul Shah. The awards were announced by jury member Dharam Gulati.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu presented the National Film Awards to the year's winners with actors Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana and Keerthy Suresh receiving top honours.
A look at the winners of the 64th National awards.
Check out the winners of the 63rd National Film Awards.
A quick look at winners in the major categories.
'Producers were ready to pay me obscene amounts of money because after Rangeela, they thought if they took A R Rahman and Ahmed Khan, the film would be a hit.' 'There were no imported cars then, no mobile phones or online shopping, no house to run or any big kharcha. I was rocking!'
Bollywood makes way for regional cinema at the 65th National Awards.
As Riteish Deshmukh turns director again with Raja Shivaji, we look at past actors who stepped behind the camera and delivered some of Hindi cinema's most memorable films.
Shweta Basu Prasad, the 11-year-old lead actor in Vishal Bhardwaj's 2002 film Makdee --- a performance that won her the National Film Award for Best Child Artist -- was arrested on Sunday after the police caught her in a prostitution racket at a Hyderabad hotel.
Thousands and thousands and thousands of adults owe their lives to the commitment and medical fervour of Dr Armida Fernandez, who a grateful nation honoured with the Padma Shri this year.
Shams Patel, the winner of the National award as best child artist for his role in Thanks Maa, would not be able to watch it in a theatre as the movie has been awarded 'A' certificate by the Censor Board.
Chennai-based photographer Ramya Sriram explains how she captured the fiery and hypnotic Theyyam image that won her the National Geographic India Contest
'I didn't get any recognition in Kerala for this film and it has definitely hurt me. When the whole world is celebrating the return of Sanskrit, my state is busy ignoring it.' Vinod Mankara talks about his award-winning film, Priyamanasam.
Aseem Chhabra ranks the Best of 2025's films that released in theatres, or went directly to OTT platforms.
Kannada cinema's current reigning star Puneeth talks about his new innings on television.
'Once when he was on a flight, the plane hit an air-pocket.' 'The turbulence outside caused it to see-saw violently which caused a lot of panic inside. While his co-passengers were crying and praying for their lives, Salil kaku was writing a song in his head.'
Pandiraj talks about his new film Kedi Billa Kelladi Ranga, a comedy, which hits the screens this Friday
Sasikumar on producing the National Award winning Tamil film.
'I've never done anything cliche and I've never got anything cliche.'
The 68th National Film Awards saw actors from across India get together for the prestigious ceremony in New Delhi.
The film stars Vimal, Sivakarthikeyan, Bindu Madhavi and Regina.
The very timing of the Phalke Award on Rajini now, days ahead of Tamil Nadu voting in the assembly election, may have taken away the seriousness and credibility attaching to the Centre's decision, making it sound every bit political, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The latest updates from the Tamil film industry.
'Prior to release, we heard only exemplary things about the film, so the failure came as a complete shock to my father.'
Archer Aditi Swami's parents from Maharashtra's Satara were in a 'suit hunt' at Delhi's Palika Bazar after arriving at the national capital on a frigid winter morning to attend their daughter's Arjuna Award ceremony on Tuesday.
Puneeth fan M D Riti lists five films that she consider to be amongst his best.
Delhi slum boy and National Award winner for I Am Kalam, Harsh Mayar, aspires for a better life.
'It is a film with a good human concept that would touch people around the world.' 'We are honouring a film that deserves to be at the Oscars.'
The love for the festival of colours is not restricted to just songs and moments in the movies. The various hues of colours are used in film titles for dramatic effect too.
