Guwahati: The Jury for the 68th National Film Awards announced the winners for the year 2020 here on Friday.

Ahead of the announcement, the Chairperson and other Jury members called on the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur and presented him with the selections for the Awards.

This year, there were 305 feature films as entries in 30 languages. In the non-feature film category, 148 films in 28 languages were received as entries.

Films in 15 languages other than those specified in the 8th schedule of the Constitution were received as entries.

Assamese actor and director Aimee Baruah’s film ‘Semkhor’ bagged the Best Dimasa film award and special mention, and debutant director Kripal Kalita’s Movie ‘Bridge’ won the Best Assamese Film award in the feature film category.

Two other films from Assam–‘Kachichinithu’, a Karbi language short film by Khanjan Kishore Nath and ‘Manah Aru Manuh’, an Assam non-feature film bagged best Best Short Fiction Film and Best Environment Film awards respectively.

Along with this, Aimee Baruah has also bagged the Special Jury Mention for her performance in ‘Semkhor’.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Anurag Thakur has congratulated all the winners and said 2020 was a particularly difficult year for films due to the COVID pandemic, yet the nominations consisted of great works. The Minister also thanked the Jury for diligently going through the entries and selecting the best for the awards.

Here is the list of winners:

Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru

Best Director: Sachy, Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji

Best Actor: Suriya for Soorarai Pottru and Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji

Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali, Soorarai Pottru

Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon, Ayyappanum Koshiyam

Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli, Sivaranjaniyum Innam Sila Pengallum

Best Music Direction: Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, S Thaman

Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao and Anish Mangesh Gosavi for Taktak

Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma, Ayyappanum Koshiyam

Best Lyrics: Saina, Manoj Muntashir

Best Audiography: Dollu, Mi Vasantrao and Malik

Best Choreography: Natyam

Best Cinematography: Avijatrik

Best Costume Design: Tanhaji

Best Production Design: Kappela

Best Editing: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum

Best Make-up: Natyam

Best Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru, Sudha Kongara and Mandela, Madonne Ashwin

Best Stunt Choreography: Ayyappanum Koshiyum

Special Jury Award

Special Mention

Best Feature Film in Hindi: Toolsidas Junior

Best Feature Film in Kannada: Dollu

Best Feature Film in Malayalam: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam

Best Feature Film in Tamil: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum

Best Feature Film in Telugu: Colour Photo

Best Feature Film in Haryanvi: Dada Lakhmi

Best Feature Film in Dimasa: Samkhor

Best Feature Film in Tulu: Jeetige

Awards in the Feature Film Category:

Best Dimasa Film: Sekmkhor (Assam)

Best Tulu Film: Jeetige

Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo

Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum

Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam

Best Kannada Film: Dollu

Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior

Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik

Best Assamese Film: Bridge (Assam)

Non-Feature Films

Best Film on Family Values: Kumkumarchan, Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi

Best Non-feature Film: Testimony of Anna

Best Environment Film: Manah Aru Manuh (Assam)

Best Film on Family Values: Kukumarchan

Best Short Fiction Film: Kachichinithu (Assam)

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: Pariah

Best Direction: Oh That’s Bhanu, RV Ramani

Best Cinematography: Sabdikunna Kalappa, Nikhil S Praveen

Best Audiography: Pearl of the Desert, Ajit Singh Rathore

Best Narration Voiceover: Rhapsody of Rains – Monsoons of Kerala, Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan

Best Music Direction: 1232 kms – Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar, Vishal Bhardwaj

Best Editing: Borderlands, Anadi Athaley

Best on Location Sound: Jadui Jangal, Sandeep Bhati and Pradeep Lekhwar

Best Book on Cinema: The Longest Kiss by Kishwar Desai

Best Book on Cinema (Special Mention): MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam, Anoop Ramakrishnan and Kali Paine Kalira Cinema by Surya Deo

Most Film Friendly State: Madhya Pradesh

Awards in the Non-Feature Film category are:

Best Music Direction: Vishal Bhardwaj for Marenge toh Vahin Jaa Kar

Best cinematography: Nikhil S Praveen for Shabdikunna Kalappa

Best investigative film: The Saviour: Brig. Pritam Singh

Best Exploration Film: Wheeling The Ball

Best Educational Film: Dreaming of Words (Malayalam)

Best Film on Social Issues: Justice Delayed But Delivered and Three Sisters

Best Promotional Film: Surmounting Challenges

Best Biographical film: Pabung Syam (Manipuri)

Best Non-Feature Film: Testimony of Ana (Dangi)