56th National Film Awards 2008

The National Film Awards were established in 1954. It is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. These awards are administrated by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.

Following are the winners of 56th National Film Award 2008 declared by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, Chairperson of the Feature Film Jury Shaji M Karun, Chairperson of Non-feature Film Jury Arunaraje Patil and Mr S M Khan of the Directorate of Film Festivals.

Here is the list of winners of the 56th National Film Awards for the Year 2008:

Feature Film Category:

1. Best Feature Film award : Antaheen, a Bengali film. Antaheen also received the awards for best cinematography, best lyrics and best female playback singer. Antaheen was awarded for its perfect lyrical blend of technical devices to depict shifting human relationships in an urban scenario

2. Best Actor Award : Upendra Limaye for the Marathi movie Jogva.
3. Best Male Playback Singer : Hariharan
4. Best Female Playback Singer: Shreya Ghoshal
5. Best Actress Award : Priyanka Chopra
6. Best Supporting Actress Award: Kangana Raut for Fashion
7. Best Supporting Actor : Arjun Rampal for his role in ‘Rock On’.
8. Best Direction : : Sh. Bala for the Tamil film Naan Kadauul.
9. Best Editing and Best Art Direction : Firaaq
10. Best Film on Family Values: ‘Little Zizou’ (English, Gujarati)
11. Best Children's Film Award: Kannada film Gubbachigalu
12. Best Child Artist : Master Shams Patel won the Best Child Artist for his role in Hindi film ‘Thanks Maa’.
13. Special Jury Award: The Special Jury Award went to Malayalam film ‘Bioscope’ produced by National Film Development Corporation.
14. Best Costume Designer: Neeta Lulla won for Best Costume Designer for Hindi film Jodha Akbar, which also won the best choreography award.

Best Features Films in Languages:

Eight Films were selected for the ‘Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the constitution’ category

1. Best Assamese Film – Mon Jai;
2. Best Bengali Film – Shob Charitro Kalponik;
3. Best Hindi Film – Rock On;
4. Best Kannada Film- Vimukthi;
5. Best Malayalam Film Thirakkada;
6. Best Marathi Film Harishcnadrachi Factory
7. Best Tamil Film Veranam Airam;
8. Best Telugu Film – 1940 Lookagramam.

Other awards:

1. The Nargis Dutt Award for Best feature film on national integration was won by Assamese film 'Aai Kot Nai' for its attempt to break down artificial boundaries.
2. Best film on social issues was bagged by Marathi film 'Jogva' for its hard-hitting comment on age old social customs.
3. The Indira Gandhi award for Best First film of a director went to Hindi film 'A Wednesday', directed by Neeraj Pandey
4. Abhay Deol-starrer 'Oye Lucky Lucky Oye' was adjudged the Best Popular Film providing wholesome entertainment ''for its intelligent treatment of an offbeat subject''.
5. In the non-feature film category, 'AFSPA 1958' was adjudged the Best Film for ''its courageous depiction of the non-violent resistance of the people of Manipur'.
6. Vinoo Choliparambil was awarded under non feature film category 'Best First Non-Feature Film of a Director' for his film 'Vitthal'.
7. Films Division-produced 'The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi - A Reconstruction' was selected under the category 'Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction/Compilation film'.
8. Films Division work 'The Land of Rupshupas' was selected under Best Agriculture Film category.
9. The Film and Television Institute of India-produced 'Trip' was awarded Best Scientific Film.
10. FTII's 'Stations' was selected as Best Short Fiction Film. The film also won the Best Editing Award (Manoj Kannoth).
11. Children's Film Society of India-produced 'Prince and the Crown of Stones' was selected as the Best Animation Film.
12. The Best Direction Award went to Umesh Kulkarni for his work 'Three of Us'. 'Three of Us' also got the award for Best Cinematography.
13. The Best Critic Award was announced for Altaf Mazid for focus on Assamese film industry as also to R K Bidur Singh for upholding the cause of regional filmmakers among 17 entries received for Film Critics category.
14. Altaf Mazid also bagged the award in non-feature film category for Best Anthropological/Ethnographic Film for his directorial work in 'Boliya Pitaier Sohoki Sootal'. The Special Jury Mention was given to Ujjal Chakraborty for his book 'The Director's Mind'.

The awards will be presented to the winners by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil in March.