61st National Film Awards

61st National Film Awards were announced on Wednesday, 16th April 2014, in New Delhi. Winners in the major categories are:

1.      Best Hindi Film                      -           Jolly LLB

2.      Best Actor - Rajkummar Rao (Shahid, Hindi) Suraj Venjaramoodu (Perariyathavar, Malayalam)

3.      Best Actress                           -           Geetanjali Thapa (Liar's Dice, Hindi)

4.      Best Feature Film                  -           Ship Of Theseus

5.      Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment             -           Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

6.      Best Director                          -           Hansal Mehta (Shahid)

7.      Best Supporting Actor          -           Saurabh Shukla (Jolly LLB)

8.      Best Supporting Actress       -           Amruta Subhash (Astu) Aida El Kashef (Ship Of Theseus)

9.      Best English Film                  -           The Coffin Maker

10.  Best Location Sound Recordist        -           Nihar Ranjan Samal (Madras Cafe, Hindi) 

11.  Best Sound Design                -           Bishwadeep Chatterjee (Madras Café, Hindi)

12.  Best Re-recordist of the Final Mixed Track - D Yuvaraj (Swapaanam, Malayalam)

13.  Best Choreography               -           Ganesh Acharya (Havan Karenge Bhaag Milkha Bhaag)

14.  Best Songs                              -           Kabir Suman (Jaatishwar)

15.  Best Background Score        -           Shantanu Moitra (Na Bangaaru Talli, Bengali)

16.  Best Lyrics                             -           Na. Muthukumar (Thanga Meengal, Tamil)

17.  Best Playback Singer (Male) -          Rupankar Bagchi (Jaatishwar, Bengali)

18.  Best Playback Singer (Female) -      Bela Shende (Tuhya Dharma Koncha, Marathi)

19.  Best Editing                           -           V.J. Sabu Joseph (Vallinam, Tamil)

20.  Best Production Design        -           Ashim Ahluwalia, Tabsheer Zutshi, Parichit Paralkar (Miss Lovely, Hindi)

21.  Best Costume Designer         -           Sabarni Das (Jaatishwar, Bengali)

22.  Best Film on Social Issues     -           Tuhya Dharma Koncha (Marathi)

23.  Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation     -           Perariyathavar (Malyalam)

24.  Best Children's Film             -           Kaphal (Hindi)

25.  Best Non Feature Film          -           Rangbhoomi (Hindi)

26.  Best Non Feature Film on Social Issues      -           Gulabi Gang (Hindi, Bundelkhandi)

27.  Best Short Fiction (Non Feature)     -           Mandrake! Mandrake! (Hindi)

28.  Best Direction (Non Feature)           -           Chidiya Udh

29.  Best Environmental Film including Agriculture    -           Foresting Life (Hindi, Assamese)

30.  Best Cinematography           -           Rajeev Ravi (Liar's Dice, Hindi)

31.  Best Original Screenplay      -           P. Sheshadri (December I, Kannada)

32.  Best Adapted Screenplay     -           Panchakshari (Prakruti, Kannada)

33.  Best Dialogue                         -           Sumitra Bhave (Astu, Marathi)

34.  Special Effects                       -           Jal (Hindi)

35.  Special Jury Awards             -           Yellow (Marathi) Miss Lovely (Hindi)

36.  Special Mention Gauri Gadgil and Sanjana Rai for ‘Yellow’ (Marathi)

37.  Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director             -           Fandry (Marathi)

38.  Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration- Thalaimuraigal (Tamil

39.  Best Book on Cinema: Cinema Ga Cinema (Telgu) by Nandagopal

40.  Best Film Critic: Alaka Sahani

PHOTOS: Big winners at 61st National Film Awards

Winners honoured at 61st National Film Award function

President Pranab Mukherjee today gave away trophies to the winners of National Film Awards including the best film for Anand Gandhi's 'Ship of Theseus' and most popular film to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra-directed 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'.

'Ship of Theseus', a complex and philosophical film about an unusual photographer, a Jain monk and a stock broker, was given the best picture award which carries a Swarna Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 2,50,000.

Hansal Mehta and Rajkumar Rao were given the award for the best director (Swarna Kamal and Rs 250,000) and best actor (Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000) for their biopic "Shahid" (Hindi) on slain lawyer-activist Shahid Azmi.

"I just tried to tell the story in the best way possible and when your attempts are recognised like this, it feels like a vindication. 'Shahid' was a challenging film and it was made at a time when the country is going through a deep polaristaion and at such times telling stories which address these issues directly is always a challenge," Mehta told PTI.

Rao, who played the slain activist, said "I met Shahid's family and they organised a small party for my win. They were equally happy like the way I am."

Rao shared the best actor trophy with Suraj Venjaramoodu for Malayalam film 'Perariyathavar' which also won the award for being the best film on environment conservation.

Actress Geetanjali Thapa was conferred the best actress trophy for her role in Hindi film 'Liar's Dice'.

'Ship of Theseus's Egyptian actress Aida El-Kashef, who was not present, shared the best supporting actress award with Amruta Subhas for Marathi film 'Astu' while Saurabh Shukla won the best supporting actor for court-room drama 'Jolly LLB' which was also named the best Hindi film.

"I am delighted to win the first national award of my career. National award has its own dignity and place. Unlike other awards, this one is not a commercial award. I didn't even know that my name was sent for it. It came to me as a soothing surprise," Shukla told PTI.

'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', a biopic on athlete Milkha Singh, won the award for the most popular film. The producer and director of the film received a Swarna Kamal and Rs 2,00,000 each. 'Milkha' also won the best choreography award for Ganesh Acharya.