The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has revised the National Film Awards regulations and made significant changes, including renaming awards, merging categories, and increasing prize money. The changes were made based on the recommendation of the Committee for Rationalization of Film Awards.
- The change will come into effect in the upcoming 70th edition of the National Film Awards (2022), whose entries closed on January 30th, 2024.
Major Changes:
i.The ‘Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director’ has been renamed ‘Best Debut Film of a Director’. The award includes a Swarna Kamal and cash award of Rs 3 lakh which will be presented to the director of the film.
- Previously, the award was equally split (Rs 1.25 lakh each) between the Director and Producer of the film.
ii.The ‘Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration’ has been clubbed with ‘Best Film on Social Issues’ and ‘Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation’. The newly formed award is named ‘Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values’.
- The award includes a Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh each to the director and producer.
- Previously, the award carried a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh each to the director and producer.
Prize Money Revision:
i.The prize money for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which is presented every year to an Indian film personality for their outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.
ii.The prize money for the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) Award Winners has been increased to Rs 3 lakh and for the Rajat Kamal(Silver Lotus) winners to Rs 2 lakh irrespective of categories. Previously prize money varied from category to category.
iii.The categories in which the Swarn Kamal Award is given are best film, debut film, film providing wholesome entertainment, direction, and children’s film.
iv.Rajat Kamal is bestowed upon winners of best feature film promoting national, social, and environmental values, all the acting categories, best script, soundtrack, and other similar categories.
Renaming of Awards:
i.The Best Actor award has been renamed as ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ and the Best Actress as ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’.
- The awards includes a Rajat Kamal and Rs 2 lakh prize money.
ii.The Best Supporting Actor award has been renamed as ‘Best Actor in Supporting Role’ and the Best Supporting Actress award as ‘Best Actress in a Supporting Role’.
- Both the awards carry Rajat Kamal and Rs 2 lakh prize money.
iii.Under the Best Audiography category, the three sub-categories of Location Sync Sound Recordist (for sync sound only), Sound Designer, and Recordist of the Final Mixed Track have been clubbed and renamed as ‘Best Sound Design’(Rajat Kamal with Rs 2 lakh to sound designer).
iv.The sub-categories of Best Music Director (Background Music) and the Best Music Director (Background Score) have been clubbed as ‘Music Director (Background Music)’. The award includes a Rajat Kamal and prize money of Rs 2 lakh.
v.The award for ‘Best Feature Film in each of the languages specified or not specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution’ has been renamed as ‘Best (name of the language) Feature Film’.
vi.The categories of best anthropological/ethnographic film, best science and technology film, best promotional film, best environmental film (including agriculture), best film on social issues, best educational film, best exploration/adventure film, and best investigative film have been merged to create two categories: best documentary and best non-feature film promoting social and environmental issues.
About National Film Awards:
i.The National Film Awards are organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals(DFF), under Ministry for Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
ii.The awards are categorised into four sections. They are Feature films, non- features films, Best writing on cinema, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award(Lifetime Achievement Award).
- In 2024, there will be 27 awards for feature films, 15 for non-feature films, and 2 for best writing on cinema.
Note: The Awards were running one year later because the 2021 award was awarded in 2023 due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
About the Committee for Rationalization of Film Awards:
i.The committee was headed by Neerja Sekhar, Additional secretary of MIB.
ii.It included filmmakers Priyadarshan; Vipul Shah; Haobam Paban Kumar; Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi; cinematographer S Nallamuthu; Prithul Kumar, joint secretary of MIB and Kamlesh Kumar Sinha, Director (finance) of MIB.
