68th National Awards at a Glance: Suriya and Ajay Devgn Share the Best Actor Title
India’s most prestigious film award, the 68th National Film Awards, was held late this year due to the pandemic. On Friday, September 30th, President Draupadi Murmu handed out the awards to prominent cinema personalities, including Asha Parekh and Ajay Devgan. The awards’ nominations brought more than 450 films from across 30 languages under consideration.
Press Information Bureau streamed the ceremony live on their social media. During the awards ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, some of the best and hidden gems from film industries across the country got their due recognition, like Soorarai Pottru, with the Best Feature Film title.
In the words and sentiments of President Murmu, films are not just an industry but a medium of artistic expression. She also talked about women empowerment at the ceremony when she presented Dada Saheb Phalke Award to the veteran actor Asha Parekh, a day before the actor’s 80th birthday.
While emphasising India’s soft power globally through cinema, the President awarded Suriya with the title of Best Actor Male for his phenomenal work in Soorarai Pottru. Aparrna Balamurali, the female lead in Soorarai Pottru, was awarded the Best Actor Female. Moreover, Bollywood’s mega-star Ajay Devgn shared the title of Best Actor Male with Suriya for his role in Tanha Ji: The Unsung Warrior.
The following are some of the most notable awards at the 68th National Film Awards Ceremony:
Best Popular Film: Tanha Ji: The Unsung Warrior
Best Direction: Sachidanandan KR for AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam)
Best Dialogue Writing: Mandela (Tamil)
Best Original Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)
Best Film on Social Issues: Funeral (Marathi)
At this film ceremony, various other awards, across several categories, were given to the duly deserved personalities and artists nationwide.
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