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71st National Film Awards 2023 Announced: 12th Fail Wins Best Film, Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji Get First National Awards.

Awards | Dated: 02 Aug 2025

The 71st National Film Awards for the year 2023 were announced on 1 August 2025 by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The awards honoured outstanding contributions in Indian cinema for films certified between 1 January and 31 December 2023, across feature, non-feature, writing, and new AVGC categories. The event marked a significant celebration of storytelling and cinematic diversity from across the nation.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - The awards process included consideration of 332 feature films, 115 non-feature films, 27 books, and 16 entries in the film criticism category. The Jury for Feature Films was headed by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, while the Non-Feature Film jury was chaired by renowned Kannada director P. Sheshadri. The rigorous selection process aimed to recognize cinematic excellence and artistic merit from multiple languages and genres across India.
  • - The Best Feature Film award went to 12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It won the Swarna Kamal along with a cash prize of ₹3 lakh. The film was celebrated for its realistic portrayal of the struggles faced by underprivileged aspirants in India’s civil service ecosystem and was widely appreciated for its direction, writing, and humanistic storytelling.
  • - Shah Rukh Khan won his first-ever National Film Award by sharing the Best Actor award with Vikrant Massey. Khan was honoured for his performance in Jawan, marking a historic recognition of his mass appeal combined with social messaging, while Vikrant Massey was jointly awarded for his moving performance in 12th Fail. This tie was seen as a rare but balanced tribute to both commercial and content-driven cinema.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) Rani Mukerji received the Best Actress award for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, where she portrayed a mother fighting an international custody battle. This marked her first National Film Award in her career spanning over 25 years. Her role was lauded for its emotional intensity and cultural sensitivity.
  • (ii) Sudipto Sen won Best Director for The Kerala Story (Hindi), which was awarded the Swarna Kamal. Meanwhile, Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani received the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. In a landmark addition, the new AVGC category saw Hanu-Man (Telugu) win Best AVGC Film, recognising excellence in animation and visual effects.
  • (iii) Regional cinema received prominent recognition with Ullozhukku (Malayalam) and Parking (Tamil) winning Best Feature Film in their respective languages. Urvashi and Janki Bodiwala were awarded Best Supporting Actress. In the non-feature category, Flowering Man won Best Non-Feature Film, while God, Vulture and Human was named Best Documentary. Several other films, including Sam Bahadur, Animal, and Pookkaalam, received special mentions for contributions in music, choreography, and social themes.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Which film won the Best Feature Film award at the 71st National Film Awards 2023?

Correct Answer: 12th Fail

🚀 Quick Recap: