Tamil film Soorarai Pottru won the National Award for Best Feature at the 68th National Film Awards for 2020.
The film, inspired by the life of Air Deccan founder Captain G R Gopinath, also won Suriya the Best Actor award and Aparrna Balamurali the Best Actress prize.
Soorarai Pottru also won Best Screenplay for Shalini Usha Nair and Director Sudha Kongara as well as Best Music Direction (Background Score) for G V Prakash Kumar.
The second big winner of the day was the Ajay Devgn-starrer Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which bagged the awards for Best Actor for Devgn and Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
Devgn shared the Best Actor award with Suriya.
Directed by Om Raut, Tanhajiis based on the life of Tanaji Malusare, the military leader of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army. Set in the 17th century, the film also won the Best Costume Designer for Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla.
Devgn, who has previously won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performances in Zakhm (1998) and The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), said he was elated to receive the honour for the third time.
'I'm elated to win the Best Actor Award for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior at the 68th National Awards along with Suriya who won for Soorarai Pottru. I thank everyone, most of all my creative team, the audience and my fans. I also express my gratitude to my parents & the Almighty for their blessings. Congratulations to all the other winners,' Devgn said in a statement.
The late Malayalam film-maker Sachidanandan KR 'Sachy' was posthumously named Best Director for A K Ayyappanum Koshiyum.
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli won the Best Supporting Actress Award for the Tamil film Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum.
Biju Menon bagged the Best Supporting Actor award for Ayyappanum Koshiyum.
The Best Hindi Film prize went to Toolsidas Junior, directed by Mridul Toolsidas.
The Ashutosh Gowariker production, which was the late actor Rajiv Kapoor's final film appearance, also received a Special Jury Mention for child actor Varun Buddhadev.
The prize for the Most Film Friendly state went to Madhya Pradesh, with Special Mention for Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Kishwar Desai's The Longest Kiss, based on 10 years of research and 400 letters written by cinema icon Devika Rani, received the award for the Best Book on Cinema.
The 10-member jury was headed by film-maker Vipul Shah. The awards were announced by jury member Dharam Gulati.
A quick glance at the big winners:
Best Music Direction: S Thaman for Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo
Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao and Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Taktak
Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma for Ayyappanum Koshiyam
Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for Saina
Best Audiography: Mi Vasantrao and Malik for Dollu
Best Choreography: Sandhya Raju for Natyam
Best Cinematography: Supratim Bhol for Avijatrik
Best Costume Design: Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrier
Best Production Design: Kappela
Best Editing: Sreekar Prasad for Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
Best Make-up: TV Rambabu for Natyam
Best Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru, Sudha Kongara and Mandela, Madonne Ashwin
Best Stunt Choreography: Ayyappanum Koshiyum
Special Mentions: Aimee Baruah for Semkhor, Vaanku, June, Kishore Kadam for Avwanchhit & Godakaath, and Varun Buddhadev for Toolsidas Junior
Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior
Best Kannada Film: Dollu
Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam
Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo
Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi
Best Dimasa Film: Samkhor
Best Tulu Film: Jeetige
Best Marathi Film: Goshta Eka Paithanichi
Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik
Best Assamese Film: The Bridge
Best Non-feature Film: Testimony of Anna
Best Environment Film: Manah Aru Manuh
Best Film on Family Values: Kukumarchan
Best Short Fiction Film: Kachichinithu
Best Investigative Film: The Saviour: Brig. Pritam Singh
Best Promotional Film: Surmounting Challenges
Best Science and Technology Film: On the Brink Season 2: Bats
Best Exploration Film: Wheeling The Ball
Best Educational Film: Dreaming of Words
Best Film on Social Issues: Justice Delayed But Delivered and Three Sisters
Best Arts and Culture Film: Naadada Navaneeta Dr PT Venkateshkumar
Best Biographical Film: Pabung Syam
Best Ethnographic Film: Mandal Ke Bol
Best Debut Non-feature Film of a Director: Pariah11
Best Direction: RV Ramani for Oh That’s Bhanu
Best Cinematography: Nikhil S Praveen for Shabdikkunna Kalappa
Best Audiography: Ajit Singh Rathore for Pearl of the Desert
Best Narration Voiceover: Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan for Rhapsody of Rains -- Monsoons of Kerala
Best Music Direction: Vishal Bhardwaj for 1232 kms: Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar
Best Editing: Anadi Athaley for Borderlands
Best On Location Sound: Sandip Bhati and Pradeep Lekhwar for Jadui Jangal
Special Jury Award: Ojaswee Sharma for Admitted
Best Book on Cinema: Kishwar Desai for The Longest Kiss
Most Film Friendly State: Madhya Pradesh
Here's a look at the complete list of national awards announced on Friday:
| Feature Films | |
| Best Feature Film | Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) |
| Best Direction | Sachidanandan KR (posthumously) for Ayyappanum Koshiyum |
| Best Actor | Suriya for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) & Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi) |
| Best Actress | Aparrna Balamurali for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) |
| Best Supporting Actor | Biju Menon for Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli for Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum (Tamil) |
| Best Child Artist | Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Tak-Tak (Marathi) and Akanksha Pingle & Divyesh Indulkar for Sumi (Marathi) |
| Best Children's Film | Sumi (Marathi) |
| Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation | Taledanda (Kannada) |
| Best Film on Social Issues | Funeral (Marathi) |
| Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior |
| Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director | Mandela (Tamil) |
| Special Jury Mention | Aimee Baruah for Semkhor (Dimasa), Kavya Prakash for Vaanku (Malayalam), Siddharth Menon for June (Marathi), Kishore Kadam for Godakaath (Marathi) and Avwanchhit (Marathi) and Varun Buddhadev for Toolsidas Junior (Hindi) |
| Best Feature Film in each of the languages other than those specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution | |
| Best Haryanvi Film | Dada Lakhmi |
| Best Dimasa Film | Semkhor |
| Best Tulu Film | Jeetige |
| Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution | |
| Best Telugu Film | Colour Photo |
| Best Tamil Film | Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum |
| Best Malayalam Film | Thinkalazcha Nishchayam (Engagement is on Monday) |
| Best Marathi Film | Goshta Eka Paithanichi (Tale of a Paithani) |
| Best Kannada Film | Dollu |
| Best Hindi Film | Toolsidas Junior |
| Best Bengali Film | Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu) |
| Best Assamese Film | Bridge |
| Best Action Direction Award (Stunt Choreography) | Rajasekhar, Mafia Sasi & Supreme Sunder for Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam) |
| Best Choreography | Sandhya Raju for Natyam (Telugu) |
| Best Lyrics | Manoj Muntashir for Saina (Hindi) |
| Best Music Direction: | |
| Music Director (Songs) | Thaman S for Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Telugu) |
| Music Director (Background Score) | G V Prakash Kumar for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) |
| Best Make-up Artist | T V Rambabu for Natyam (Telugu) |
| Best Costume Designer | Nachiket Barve & Mahesh Sherla for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi) |
| Best Production Design | Anees Nadodi for Kappela (Malayalam) |
| Best Editing | Sreekar Prasad for Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum (Tamil) |
| Best Audiography | |
| Location Sound Recordist | Jobin Jayan for Dollu (Kannada) |
| Sound Designer | Anmol Bhave for Mi Vasantrao (Marathi) |
| Re-recordist of the final mixed track | Vishnu Govind & Sree Sankar for Malik (Malayalam) |
| Best Screenplay | |
| Screenplay writer (original) | Shalini Usha Nair & Sudha Kongara for Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) |
| Dialogue Writer | Madonne Ashwin for Mandela (Tamil) |
| Best Cinematography | Supratim Bhol for Avijatrik (Bengali) |
| Best Female Playback Singer | Nanchamma for Ayyappanum Koshiyum (Malayalam) |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao (Marathi) |
| Non Feature Films | |
| Best Non-feature Film | Testimony of Anna (Dangi) by Sachin Dheeraj Mundigonda |
| Best Environment Film | Manah Aru Manuh (Assamese) |
| Best Film on Family Values | Kukumarchan (Marathi) |
| Best Short Fiction Film | Kachichinithu (Karbi) |
| Best Investigative Film | The Saviour: Brig. Pritam Singh (Punjabi) |
| Best Promotional Film | Surmounting Challenges (English) |
| Best Science and Technology Film | On the Brink Season 2 - Bats (English) |
| Best Exploration Film | Wheeling The Ball (English & Hindi) |
| Best Educational Film | Dreaming of Words (Malayalam) |
| Best Film on Social Issues | Justice Delayed But Delivered (Hindi) and Three Sisters (Bengali) |
| Best Arts and Culture Film | Naadada Navaneeta DR PT Venkateshkumar (Kannada) |
| Best Biographical Film | Pabung Syam (Manipuri) |
| Best Ethnographic Film | Mandal ke Bol (Hindi) |
| Best Debut Non-feature Film of a Director | Vishesh Iyer for Pariah (Marathi and Hindi) |
| Best Direction | RV Ramani for Oh That's Bhanu (English, Tamil Malayalam and Hindi) |
| Best Cinematography | Nikhil S Praveen for Shabdikkunna Kalappa (Malayalam) |
| Best Audiography | Ajit Singh Rathore for Pearl of the Desert (Rajasthani) |
| Best Narration Voiceover | Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan for Rhapsody of Rains - Monsoons of Kerala (English) |
| Best Music Direction | Vishal Bhardwaj for Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar from 1232 kms (Hindi) |
| Best Editing | Anadi Athaley for Borderlands (Bengali, Nepali, Manipuri, Hindi & Punjabi) |
| Best On Location Sound | Sandip Bhati and Pradeep Lekhwar for Jadui Jangal (Hindi) |
| Special Jury Award | Ojaswee Sharma for Admitted (Hindi & English) |
| Award for Best Book on Cinema | The Longest Kiss by Kishwar Desai |
| Special Mention | MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam (Malayalam) by Anoop Ramakrishnan and Kali Paine Kalira Cinema (Odia) by Surya Deo |
| Most Film Friendly State | Madhya Pradesh |
| Special Mention | Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh |
| Best Film Critic | No winner this year. |
