The 56th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India to celebrate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 2008.
Three committees were instituted in order to judge the various entries for feature film, non-feature film and best writing on cinema sections, headed by the National award-winning director, Shaji N. Karun, for feature films and Aruna Raje Patil for non-feature films and Sunil Gangopadhyay for best writing on cinema.
Each chairperson announced the award on 23 January 2010 for their respective sections and award ceremony took place at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi with President of India, Pratibha Patil giving away the awards on 20 March 2010.
Awards Awards were divided into feature films, non-feature films and books written on Indian cinema.
Lifetime Achievement Award Name of AwardImageAwardee(s)Awarded AsAwardsDadasaheb Phalke Award V. K. MurthyCinematographerSwarna Kamal, 10,00,000 and a Shawl
Feature films Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 56th National Film Awards, a Bengali film, Antaheen won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film; whereas a Marathi film, Jogwa won the maximum number of awards (5). The following awards were given in each category:
Juries A committee headed by Shaji N. Karun was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. The jury members were:
Shaji N. Karun (Chairperson)Roshan TanejaH. M. RamachandraNagmaSatyabrata KalitaNeelakantaDilip GhoshSwapan MullickSudesh SyalS. K. SrivastavaArchanaB. Shashi KumarSubhash SehgalSantosh DesaiSreelekha Mukherji
All India Award The following awards were given:
Golden Lotus Award Official name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of awardName of filmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature FilmAntaheenBengaliProducer: Screenplay Films Pvt. Ltd.Director: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury 2,50,000/- EachCitation: For lyrical blend of technical devices in the right proportion to depict shifting human relationships in an urban scenario.Best Debut Film of A DirectorA Wednesday!HindiProducer: UTV Motion PicturesDirector: Neeraj Pandey 1,25,000/- EachCitation: For slick and searing exposure of the tension below the normal rhythm of life and the angst of the common man in Mumbai.Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentOye Lucky! Lucky Oye!HindiProducer: UTV Motion PicturesDirector: Dibakar Banerjee 2,00,000/- EachCitation: For its intelligent treatment of an off-beat subject that makes it different within the popular format.Best Children's FilmGubbachigaluKannadaProducer: Media House StudioDirector: Abhaya Simha 1,50,000/- EachCitation: For imaginative portrayal of a magic world that exists in the minds of children.Best Animated FilmRoadside RomeoHindiProducer: Aditya ChopraDirector: Jugal HansrajAnimator: Tata Elxsi/VCL 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its technical achievements to further the craft of animation for mainstream audience.Best DirectionNaan KadavulTamilBala 2,50,000/-Citation: For its powerful handling of an extraordinary subject that focuses on marginal characters with great convection.
Silver Lotus Award Official name: Rajat Kamal
All the winners are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of awardName of filmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature Film on National IntegrationAai Kot NaiAssameseProducer: Rajen BoraDirector: Manju Borah 1,50,000/- EachCitation: For its honest look at a burning problem in Northeast India, its attempt to break down artificial boundaries and giving it a human and aesthetic appeal.Best Film on Family WelfareLittle ZizouEnglish and GujaratiProducer: Jigri Dost ProductionsDirector: Sooni Taraporevala 1,50,000/- EachCitation: For its witty and intelligent handling of the conflicts and convictions confronting the Parsi community.Best Film on Other Social IssuesJogwaMarathiProducer: Shripal MorakhiaDirector: Rajeev Patil 1,50,000/- EachCitation: For hard hitting comment on the victims of age old social customs.Best Film on Environment / Conservation / PreservationJianta BhootaOriyaProducer: Akshay ParijaDirector: Prashanta Nanda 1,50,000/- EachCitation: For sensitive portrayal of exploitation of innocence in the name of development.Best ActorJogwaMarathiUpendra Limaye 50,000/-Citation: For his restrained yet powerful depiction of a complex character.Best ActressFashionHindiPriyanka Chopra 50,000/-Citation: For convincing portrayal of a whole range of emotions within a single character.Best Supporting ActorRock On!!HindiArjun Rampal 50,000/-Citation: For his moving performance as a musician trying to rise above personal tragedy.Best Supporting ActressFashionHindiKangana Ranaut 50,000/-Citation: For compelling portrayal of a down and out super model that enriches the impact of the film.Best Child ArtistThanks MaaHindiShams Patel 50,000/-Citation: For his very natural depiction of a street child thrown into an unusual situation.Best Male Playback SingerJogwaMarathiHariharan 50,000/-Citation: For his soulful rendition reflecting the agony of unfulfilled emotions.Best Female Playback SingerAntaheenJogwaBengaliMarathiShreya Ghoshal 50,000/-Citation: For her wide ranging rendition of human emotions.Best CinematographyAntaheenBengaliCameraman: Abhik MukhopadhyayLaboratory Processing: Filmlab, Mumbai 50,000/- EachCitation: For the poetically captured visuals with inspired use of light and shades to enhanced the mood of the film.Best ScreenplayGandhaMarathiSachin Kundalkar 50,000/-Citation: For its remarkable integration of three different plots using the sense of smell at as a liet motif to focus sensitively on human relationships.Best AudiographyGandhaMarathiPramod J. ThomasAnmol Bhave 50,000/-Citation: For its use of dramatically scripted sounds to heighten the mood of the film.Best EditingFiraaqHindiA. Sreekar Prasad 50,000/-Citation: For aesthetically weaving together unrelated sequences to heighten the dramatic impact.Best Art DirectionFiraaqHindiGautam Sen 50,000/-Citation: For its perfect use of props and choice of colours to enhance the ambience of a post-riots.Best Costume DesignJodhaa AkbarHindiNeeta Lulla 50,000/-Citation: For its painstaking detail to recreate the costumes and jewellery of Mughal era.Best Make-up ArtistNaan KadavulTamilU. K. Sasi 50,000/-Citation: For its wide variety of make-up inputs to reflect the large spectrum of characters.Best Music DirectionJogwaMarathiAjay–Atul 50,000/-Citation: For its well-researched use of traditional and folk music to reinforce the theme of the film.Best LyricsAntaheenBengaliAnindya ChatterjeeChandril Bhattacharya 50,000/-Citation: For its simple composition of verses to contribute meaningfully to the film.Best Special EffectsMumbai Meri JaanHindiGovardhan (Tata Elxsi) 50,000/-Citation: For its stunning use of technical effects of visual shorts to mirror a man-made disaster.Best ChoreographyJodhaa AkbarHindiChinni PrakashRekha Prakash 50,000/-Citation: For its extravagant and dreamlike treatment of celebrations on a magnificent scale.Special Jury AwardBioscopeMalayalamNFDC (Producer)K. M. Madhusudhanan (Director) 62,500/- EachCitation: For its exciting revival of a sincerely personal style to look back on a chapter of history.
Regional Awards The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India.
Name of awardName of filmAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature Film in AssameseMon JaaiProducer: Moirangthem MoviesDirector: M. Maniram 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its honest exploration of ethical values confronting the youth.Best Feature Film in BengaliShob Charitro KalponikProducer: Reliance Big PicturesDirector: Rituparno Ghosh 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its poetic treatment of an individual sensitivities in a crisis.Best Feature Film in HindiRock On!!Producer: Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.Director: Abhishek Kapoor 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For an emotional story of musical bonding.Best Feature Film in KannadaVimukthiProducer: Navyachitra CreationsDirector: P. Sheshadri 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For exploring different dimension of family ties.Best Feature Film in MalayalamThirakkathaProducer: Varnachithra Big ScreenDirector: Ranjith 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its poignant story of an actress told with sincerity and conviction.Best Feature Film in MarathiHarishchandrachi FactoryProducer: UTV Motion PicturesDirector: Paresh Mokashi 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its original of stylised recreation of a slice of history.Best Feature Film in TamilVaaranam AayiramProducer: V. RavichandranDirector: Gautham Vasudev Menon 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its engaging depiction of a father and son relationship.Best Feature Film in Telugu1940 Lo Oka GramamProducer: N. C. NarasimhamDirector: Narasimha Nandi 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its courageous handling of caste-based prejudices.
Best Feature Film in Each of the Languages Other Than Those Specified In the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Name of awardName of filmAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature Film in EnglishLand Gold WomenProducer: Vivek AgrawalDirector: Avantika Hari 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its intense depiction of the issue of honour killing.Best Feature Film in KokborokYarwngProducer: Joseph KizhakechennaduDirector: Joseph Pulinthanath 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For a meaningful story of displaced people looking to rebuild their lives.Best Feature Film in TuluGaggaraProducer: M. DurganandDirector: Shivadhwaj Shetty 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For its attempt to preserve traditional folk forms.
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.
Juries A committee headed by Aruna Raje Patil was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. The jury members were:
Aruna Raje Patil (Chairperson)Krishnendu BoseAnirban DuttaSandeep MarwahReena MohanR. V. RamaniSarfaraz Siddiqui
Golden Lotus Award Official name: Swarna Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.
Name of awardName of filmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Non-Feature FilmAFSPA 1958Meitei and EnglishProducer: Bachaspa Timayun Sunzu and Haobam Paban KumarDirector: Haobam Paban Kumar 1,00,000/- EachCitation: For a courageous depiction of the non-violent resistance of the people of Manipur to protest against a legislation, which undermines the values of self-respect and the fundamentals of democracy. The documentation process by various crews and the way it is chronicled offers multiple perspectives.Best Non-Feature Film DirectionThree of UsOnly MusicUmesh Vinayak Kulkarni 50,000/-Citation: With immense sensitivity, the film offers a slice of life of a physically challenged person, which transcends into a telling cinematic practice of minimalism and control. A poetic exploration that breathes the indomitable spirit of these real characters playing themselves, way above its bleak mise-en-scene.
Silver Lotus Award Official name: Rajat Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.