71st National Film Awards

The 71st National Film Awards, presented by the National Film Development Corporation of India, were announced on 1 August 2025 to honour the best of Indian cinema in 2023.^[1][2][3] There were 332 entries in the feature film category, 115 in non-feature films, 27 books, and 16 critics’ submissions.^[4]

The National Film Development Corporation of India invited online entries with the acceptable last date for entries until 18 September 2024.^[5][6] Feature and Non-Feature Films certified by Central Board of Film Certification between 1 January 2023, and 31 December 2023, 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 2023, and 31 December 2023, 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.^[7]

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, documentary, short film, or animation film, by the Central Board of Film Certification.^[8]

For the Feature Film section, six committees were formed based on the different geographic regions in India. The two-tier evaluation process included a central committee and five regional committees. The central committee, headed by the director Ashutosh Gowariker, included the heads of each regional committee and five other jury members. At regional level, each committee consisted of one chief and four members. The chief and one non-chief member of each regional committee were selected from outside that geographic region. The table below names the jury members for the central and regional committees:

Central Jury

Northern Region: (Bhojpuri, Dogri, English, Hindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Urdu)

Eastern Region: (Assamese, Bengali, Odia and North-Eastern languages)

Western Region: (Gujarati, Konkani, Marathi)

Southern Region I: (Malayalam, Tamil)

Southern Region II: (Kannada, Telugu)

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

All the awardees are awarded with Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal), a certificate and cash prize.

All the awardees are awarded with a certificate.

Non-feature length films made in any Indian language and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary, short film, animation film etc are eligible for non-feature film section.

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

All the awardees are awarded with Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal) and cash prize.

All the awardees are awarded with a certificate.

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.

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

All the awardees are awarded with the Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal) accompanied with a cash prize.

Shortly after The Kerala Story received the Best Director and Best Cinematography awards, the decision drew significant criticism.^[9] Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the decision as a "grave insult" to the state, accusing the film of spreading "misinformation" and legitimizing a "divisive ideology," while Opposition Leader V. D. Satheesan alleged that the awards were being used to further a political "hate campaign".^[10][11] State ministers Saji Cherian, K. N. Balagopal, V. Sivankutty, and P. A. Mohammed Riyas similarly described the decision as an attempt to malign Kerala.^[12][13][14] Congress MP K. C. Venugopal criticised the decision, calling the film undeserving and accusing it of promoting a "rotten agenda".^[15] Jury member Pradeep Nair also dissented, calling the film "propaganda," and several media outlets noted that the awards were conferred despite longstanding allegations of exaggerated and fictionalized depictions of conversions and ISIS recruitment in Kerala.^{[16][17][18][19]} The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Student’s Association condemned the decision, denouncing the film as "majoritarian propaganda with a hate‑filled agenda disguised as cinema".^[20] Veteran actress Ranjini criticised the decision, calling it a "fabricated story" and remarked that honouring it "tarnishes" the sanctity of the awards.^[21] Similarly, actress Fara Shibla also criticised the decision, accusing the film of "misrepresenting" Kerala’s culture.^[22] In response, jury chairperson and filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker defended the decision, stating the film addressed a "difficult topic" with "clarity" and demonstrated strong visual execution.^[23]

Actress Urvashi, who received the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in Malayalam film Ullozhukku, expressed dissatisfaction, stating she believed her role qualified for the Best Actress category and called for greater transparency in the jury’s selection process.^[24][25]

• Official press release