NEW DELHI, Aug 2: The 71st National Film Awards for the year 2023 brought pride to the Northeast as four films from the region received prestigious honors across various categories. The awards were announced on August 1, recognizing excellence in Indian cinema across feature films, non-feature films, and film criticism.
Mau: The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw, a Mizo-language film directed by Shilpika Bordoloi, won the Best Debut Film of a Director, receiving the Swarn Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh. The film explores the forgotten narrative of a mother who dies in childbirth and reimagines the traditional Cheraw bamboo dance as a ritual to soothe the mother spirit. Deeply rooted in Mizo cultural and geopolitical history, the film stood out for its originality and emotional depth.
In the Assamese language category, Rongatapu 1982, directed by Adityam Saikia and produced by BRC Cine Production, was awarded the Rajat Kamal with Rs 2 lakh in cash. The film has been lauded for its evocative portrayal of rural Assam in the 1980s, with particular praise for its cinematography and sound design.
The Garo-language film Rimgodittanga (Rapture), directed by Dominic Megam Sangma and produced by Anna Films, also received the Rajat Kamal and Rs 2 lakh. The story revolves around a 10-year-old boy with night blindness, living in fear as his village is haunted by the threat of child kidnappers. Rich in cultural and spiritual depth, the film has already achieved success at international film festivals.
Pai Tang Best (Step of Hope) was recognized as the Best Tai Phake Film, directed by Prabal Khaund and produced by Naba Kumar Bhuyan. It too received the Rajat Kamal and Rs 2 lakh, adding to the regional representation at this year’s awards.
In the field of film criticism, Utpal Datta from Assam was awarded the Best Film Critic, receiving the Swarn Kamal and Rs 3 lakh for his insightful contributions to Assamese cinema and criticism.
This year’s National Film Awards received 332 entries in feature films, 115 in non-feature, 27 books, and 16 critics’ submissions.
Among the national winners, 12th Fail was declared the Best Feature Film, while Flowering Man won the Best Non-Feature Film. The Best Documentary award went to God, Vulture and Human.
Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) and Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) shared the Best Actor award—marking the first National Film Award in Khan’s illustrious career. Rani Mukerji was honored with the Best Actress award for her performance in Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway, also her first national honor.
Veteran actor Vijayaraghavan and Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar were jointly awarded Best Supporting Actor.
The announcement was made in the presence of jury heads Ashutosh Gowariker (Feature Film), P. Sheshadri (Non-Feature), and Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan MN, Joint Secretary (Films), alongside Mattu J. P. Singh, Director General, PIB.
