The 71st National Film Awards celebrated a vibrant year in Indian cinema, where both critical storytelling and mass entertainment found a spot under the spotlight. From strong debuts to record-breaking performances, here's a complete list of winners in the Feature Film categories across languages and genres.
The prestigious award for Best Feature Film was given to 12th Fail (Hindi), directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. In the Best Debut Film of a Director category, Aatmapamphlet (Marathi) by Ashish Bende received top honors. The emotionally resonant Sam Bahadur (Hindi), directed by Meghna Gulzar, was recognized as the Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values.
In the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment category, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Hindi), directed by Karan Johar, stood out for its flair and family appeal. The Best Children’s Film went to Naal 2 (Marathi), helmed by Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, and the mythic superhero adventure Hanu-Man (Telugu), directed by Prasanth Varma, won in the Best Film in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comics) category, with Jetty Venkat Kumar recognized for animation and VFX.
Best Direction was awarded to Sudipto Sen for the bold and polarizing The Kerala Story (Hindi). In the acting categories, Shah Rukh Khan won Best Actor for Jawan (Hindi), while Vikrant Massey was also recognized for 12th Fail (Hindi). Rani Mukerji earned the Best Actress award for her stirring performance in Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway (Hindi).
In supporting roles, Vijayaraghavan received the Best Supporting Actor award for Pookkaalam (Malayalam), alongside Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar for Parking (Tamil). Urvashi took home the Best Supporting Actress title for Ullozhukku (Malayalam), while Janki Bodiwala was acknowledged for her role in Vash (Gujarati).
Three young performers were recognized in the Best Child Artist category: Sukriti Veni Bandreddi for Gandhi Tatha Chettu (Telugu), Kabir Khandare for Gypsy (Marathi), and Treesha Thosar, Shrinivas Pokale, and Bhargav Jagtap for Naal 2 (Marathi).
In the music department, PVN S Rohit won Best Male Playback Singer for Baby (Premisthunna) (Telugu), while Shilpa Rao bagged Best Female Playback Singer for Jawan (Chaliya) (Hindi). The Best Music Direction (Songs) went to G.V. Prakash Kumar for Vaathi (Tamil), and Harshavardhan Rameshwar received Best Music Direction (Background Score) for Animal (Hindi).
Best Lyrics was awarded to Kasarla Shyam for the soul-stirring track in Balagam (Ooru Palleturu) (Telugu). The energetic Best Choreography title went to Vaibhavi Merchant for the vibrant “Dhindhora Baje Re” in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Hindi).
On the technical front, Prasantanu Mohapatra won Best Cinematography for The Kerala Story (Hindi), Midhun Murali took home the Best Editing award for Pookkaalam (Malayalam), and Mohandas won Best Production Design for the disaster epic 2018 – Everyone Is A Hero (Malayalam). The Best Costume Design honor was shared by Sachin Lovalekar, Divvya Gambhir, and Nidhhi Gambhir for Sam Bahadur (Hindi), while Shrikant Desai was recognized for Best Make-Up for the same film.
Deepak Kingrani won for Best Dialogues in Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (Hindi), while Sai Rajesh Neelam and Ramkumar Balakrishnan were both honored in the Best Screenplay (Original) category for Baby (Telugu) and Parking (Tamil), respectively.
Best Sound Design was awarded to Sachin Sudhakaran and Hariharan Muralidharan for their brilliant work in Animal (Hindi), and Best Action Direction went to Nandu Prudhvi for Hanu-Man (Telugu), rounding out the year’s most action-packed achievement.
The 71st National Film Awards reflect not just excellence, but also the evolving heartbeat of Indian cinema—regional, experimental, star-driven, and deeply rooted in culture.