President Droupadi Murmu today conferred the 70th National Film Awards for the year 2022 in New Delhi. On this prestigious occasion, the legendary actor Mithun Chakraborty was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest accolade in Indian cinema. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan were also present at the event.
In her address, President Murmu congratulated Mithun Chakraborty for receiving the award and appreciated his significant contributions to the Indian film industry. She also lauded the awarded films, stating that these works would foster positive change in society.
Speaking at the ceremony, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw highlighted the government’s commitment to developing the film industry through a three-pronged approach: Talent Development, Infrastructure, and Simplification. He congratulated all the winners, emphasizing that the National Film Awards celebrate the talent and hard work of filmmakers. Vaishnaw acknowledged the resilience of filmmakers who created these award-winning films during the pandemic and noted that nine debut directors were recognized for their bold storytelling. He also discussed the National Creators Award initiative, affirming the Modi government’s commitment to nurturing the creator economy in its historic third term.
In his welcome address, Secretary of Information and Broadcasting Sanjay Jaju stated that for the year 2022, the Ministry received 309 feature film entries in 32 different languages and 128 non-feature film entries in 17 languages. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s support for Indian cinema through various initiatives, highlighting the amendment to the Cinematograph Act, which modernizes certification and combats piracy.
The prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award not only acknowledges Mithun Chakraborty’s artistic excellence but also his enduring legacy as a compassionate and dedicated individual. In other categories, Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award for his performance in the Kannada film Kantara, while Nithya Menen received the Best Actress award for the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam, and Manasi Parekh for the Gujarati film Kutch Express. Film critic Deepak Dua was honored with the Golden Lotus Award, while Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Parthiv Dhar won for Best Book on Cinema with Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography.
The Best Feature Film award went to the Malayalam film Aattam, and Ayena was recognized as the Best Non-Feature Film. Sooraj Barjatya was honored as Best Director for his film Uunchai. In the feature film category, Gulmohar received the Best Hindi Film award, and the Haryanvi film Fouja was recognized for Best Lyrics in the non-feature category. Renowned actor Manoj Bajpayee received a ‘Special Mention’ for the Hindi film Gulmohar, while filmmaker Karan Johar won the ‘Best Film in AVGC’ award for Brahmastra Part-I.
In the music category, Arijit Singh was awarded Best Male Playback Singer, and Bombay Jayashri received the Best Female Playback Singer award. Other notable films such as Ponniyin Selvan Part I, KGF 2, Brahmastra, Aparajito, Emuthi Puthi, Kaberi Antardhan, Daman, and Baghi Di Dhee were also recognized for their contributions to Indian cinema.