41st National Film Awards

The 41st National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 1993.[1] Ceremony took place in 1994.

41st National Film Awards
Awarded forBest of Indian cinema in 1993
Awarded byDirectorate of Film Festivals
Presented byShankar Dayal Sharma
(President of India)
Announced on21 April 1994 (1994-04-21)
Presented on30 September 1994 (1994-09-30)
Official websitedff.nic.in
Highlights
Best Feature FilmCharachar
Best Non-Feature FilmMaihar Raag
Best BookNaalo Nenu
Best Film CriticPritiman Sarkar
Dadasaheb Phalke AwardMajrooh Sultanpuri
Most awards • Muhafiz
 • Ponthan Mada (4)

With 41st National Film Awards, a new award for Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction was introduced for non-feature films section awarded with Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus).

Awards

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Awards were divided into feature films, non-feature films and books written on Indian cinema.

Lifetime Achievement Award

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Name of Award Image Awardee(s) Awarded As Awards
Dadasaheb Phalke Award   Majrooh Sultanpuri[2][3] Lyricist Swarna Kamal, 100,000 and a Shawl

Feature films

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Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 41st National Film Awards, a Bengali film, Charachar won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film whereas an Urdu film, Muhafiz along with a Malayalam film, Ponthan Mada won the maximum number of awards (4). Following were the awards given in each category:[1]

Juries

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A committee headed by T. Subbarami Reddy was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. Following were the jury members:[1]

All India Award

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Following were the awards given:[1]

Golden Lotus Award
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Official Name: Swarna Kamal[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of Award Name of Film Language Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Feature Film Charachar Bengali Producer: M/s Gope Movies Pvt Ltd. 50,000/-
director: Buddhadeb Dasgupta 25,000/-
Citation: For its poetic and typical representation of the eternal human longing for liberation and man's alienation from Nature.
Best Debut Film of a Director Sunya Theke Suru Bengali Producer: H. Das, Madhumanti Maitra and M. Das
Director: Ashoke Viswanathan
25,000/- Each
Citation: For its creative handling of sensitive subject, exhibiting the socio-political situation of out society, spanning three decades.
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Manichitrathazhu Malayalam Producer: Appachan 40,000/-
Director: Fazil 20,000/-
Citation: For handling an unusual subject of psychological aberration in a conservative society and the ultimate acceptance of a modern approach.
Darr Hindi Producer: Yash Chopra 40,000/-
Director: Yash Chopra 20,000/-
Citation: For its convincing presentation of the theme of love, which has been rendered complex by its relationship with past experiences of fear.
Best Children's Film Lavanya Preeti Oriya Producer: National Center of Films for Children and Young People 30,000/-
Director: A. K. Bir 15,000/-
Citation: For its subtle and delicate exposition of the growing-up process from childhood to adolescence through the use of myths and striking visuals.
Best Direction Ponthan Mada Malayalam T. V. Chandran 50,000/-
Citation: For a masterly rendering of a whole range of human experience into celluloid poetry.
Silver Lotus Award
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Official Name: Rajat Kamal[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of Award Name of Film Language Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Feature Film on National Integration Sardar Hindi Producer: Haribhai M. Patel 30,000/-
Director: Ketan Mehta 15,000/-
Citation: For presenting a panoramic view of India in a period of transition to reveal the goals of nationalism by the integration of a mass disparate materials and shaping them into a coherent saga of Indian nationalism in an epic style.
Best Film on Family Welfare Akashadoothu Malayalam Producer: Anupama Cinema 30,000/-
Director: Siby Malayil 15,000/-
Citation: For the urgency of family welfare through human love and compassion.
Best Film on Other Social Issues Janani Bengali Producer: Sanat Dasgupta 30,000/-
Director: Sanat Dasgupta 15,000/-
Citation: For its delicate portrayal of an obscurantist practice like witchcraft, prevalent in certain parts of the country.
Naaraayam Malayalam Producer: Raju Pilakat 30,000/-
Director: Sasi Shanker 15,000/-
Citation: For its subdued depiction of the possibilities of realising communal harmony.
Best Film on Environment / Conservation / Preservation Devara Kadu Kannada Producer: Pattabhirami Reddy Productions 30,000/-
Director: Pattabhirami Reddy Tikkavarapu 15,000/-
Citation: For presenting the two themes of "Back to Village" and "Preservation of Nature" by an imaginative use of myths and legends.
Best Actor  • Ponthan Mada
 • Vidheyan
Malayalam Mammootty 10,000/-
Citation: For his sensitive portrayal in the film Ponthan Mada of the role of an outsider and in Vidheyan for the depiction of the relationship of power and terror at an existential level.
Best Actress Manichithrathazhu Malayalam Shobana 10,000/-
Citation: For her unusual capacity to reveal complex nuances of a variety of human emotions.
Best Supporting Actor  • Woh Chokri
 • Sir
Hindi Paresh Rawal 10,000/-
Citation: For his performances in the films to reveal contradictory human emotions at the outer and inner levels.
Best Supporting Actress Woh Chokri Hindi Neena Gupta 10,000/-
Citation: For a realistic portrayal of a loving mother and a betrayed wife, revealing shades of love, hate and anxiety.
Best Child Artist Lavanya Preeti Oriya Tarasankar Misra 5,000/-
Citation: For depicting successfully the process of growing up from childhood to adolescence and the first awareness of sexuality.
Best Male Playback Singer Sopanam Malayalam K. J. Yesudas 10,000/-
Citation: For his superb capacity to render a variety of moods by means of a rich and melodious voice, which is capable of delineating both the range and depth of human emotions.
Best Female Playback Singer Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke Hindi Alka Yagnik 10,000/-
Citation: For her ability to identify herself with the characters and render the delicate nuances of human feelings in complex situations.
Best Cinematography Ponthan Mada Malayalam Cameraman: Venu
Laboratory Processing: Prasad Film Laboratories
10,000/- Each
Citation: For the masterly use of the camera, in order to capture the feel of the background, setting, atmosphere of the subject and making use of striking visuals to communicate the theme.
Best Screenplay Uttoran Bengali Satyajit Ray (Posthumously) 10,000/-
Citation: For designing and structuring a screenplay from an imaginative and aesthetic angle, with a superb control over the unity of impressions.
Best Audiography Mahanadhi Tamil  • H. Sridhar
 • K. M. Surya Narayan
(M/s Media Artiste Pvt. Ltd)
10,000/-
Citation: For their capacity to the use of technique to contribute to the total effect of the film as an audio-visual gestalt.
Best Editing Sardar Hindi Renu Saluja 10,000/-
Citation: For combining expertise with artistry in a diverse and disparate series of sequences into a memorable experience of epic cinema.
Best Art Direction Muhafiz Urdu Suresh Sawant 10,000/-
Citation: For recreating architecture, landscape and interiors of exceptional beauty and cinematic integrity, synchronised to perfection with the thematic content of the protagonist's search for the poetry of an ailing maestro.
Best Costume Design Muhafiz Urdu Loveleen Bains 10,000/-
Citation: For recreating an entire spectrum of costumes, representing not only the protagonist, the ageing litterateur and his closeted world, but the entire milieu of the city and the small town.
Best Music Direction Ponthan Mada Malayalam Johnson 10,000/-
Citation: For his music, which exhibits imagination, competence and presentation of the changing contours of music from traditional to modern styles.
Best Lyrics Mathru Devo Bhava
("Raalipoye Puvva")
Telugu Veturi 10,000/-
Citation: For his lyric "Raalipoye Puvva", which demonstrates his poetic imagination, enriched by his deep experience of life and a consequential competence in using language with felicity.
Best Special Effects Thiruda Thiruda Tamil Sethu 10,000/-
Citation: For professional and apt handling of spectacular scenes on a large scale, contributing significantly to the overall impact of the film.
Best Choreography Thiruda Thiruda Tamil Sundaram 10,000/-
Citation: For the orchestration of scores of dancers in unison, with massive sets, stunning light effects and foot thumping music.
Special Jury Award Muhafiz Urdu Shashi Kapoor 25,000/- Each
Citation: For a sensitive portrayal of the feeling of the poet, who is a representative of a dying humanistic culture, in course of which the life of imagination is undermined by the pressure of materialistic values.
Woh Chokri Hindi Pallavi Joshi
Citation: For enacting competently and realistically, a whole gamut of experiences and emotions, embracing a women's life from childhood to adulthood.
Special Mention Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke Hindi  • Tahir Hussain (Producer)
 • Mahesh Bhatt (Director)
Certificate Only
Citation: For an enjoyable and wholesome entertainment at the level of innocent comedy.
Indradhanura Chhai Oriya  • Jugal Debata (Producer)
 • Susant Mishra (Director)
Citation: For their film, a sensitive exploration of a woman's experience of loneliness in the context of the inexorable passage of time, culminating on a positive note of redemption through symbolic images.

Regional Awards

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The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India.[1]

Name of Award Name of Film Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Feature Film in Assamese Abartan Producer: Bhabendra Nath Saikia 20,000/-
Director: Bhabendra Nath Saikia 10,000/-
Citation: For a successful experiment in the dramatic technique of a play-within-a-play to reveal the relationship of appearances to reality.
Best Feature Film in Bengali Antareen Producer: NFDC and Doordarshan 20,000/-
Director: Mrinal Sen 10,000/-
Citation: For a sensitive exploration of modern man's loneliness and the failure of human communication in a dehumanised civilization.
Best Feature Film in Gujarati Manvini Bhavai Producer: Aashish Trivedi and Upendra Trivedi 20,000/-
Director: Upendra Trivedi 10,000/-
Citation: For depicting the drought-torn lives of villagers through the eyes of the protagonist.
Best Feature Film in Hindi Patang Producer: Sanjay Sahay and Durba Sahay 20,000/-
Director: Gautam Ghose 10,000/-
Citation: For a restrained and symbolic portrayal of love and betrayal and of the various layers of moral corruption, which overpower the lives of innocents.
Best Feature Film in Kannada Chinnari Mutha Producer: Nagini Nagabharana, Saroja and Nandakumar 20,000/-
Director: T. S. Nagabharana 10,000/-
Citation: For an imaginative rendering of a child's growing-up process, in terms of the widening ambiance of human life.
Best Feature Film in Malayalam Vidheyan Producer: K. Ravindran Nair 20,000/-
Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan 10,000/-
Citation: For its in-depth handling and complex delineation of the psychological evolution of two characters, representative of the transformation of terror into power and its hold over the life of the existentialist outsider.
Best Feature Film in Manipuri Sambal Wangma Producer: Sobita Devi 20,000/-
Director: K. Ibohal 10,000/-
Citation: For correlating the integration of Man with Nature for the development of the human personality.
Best Feature Film in Marathi Lapandav Producer: Sachin Parekar and Sanjay Parekar 20,000/-
Director: Shraboni Deodhar 10,000/-
Citation: For its clever portrayal of comedy of errors, cutting across the generation gap and for its charming depiction of puppy-love, extending from the campus to the homes of today's youth, in a refreshing directorial debut.
Best Feature Film in Oriya Aranya Rodan Producer: Prasan Prusti 20,000/-
Director: Biplab Ray Chaudhuri 10,000/-
Citation: For its very sensitive and cinematic handling of an urban journalist's quest to understand the complexities of tribal life, seen through the eyes of an orphaned boy.
Best Feature Film in Punjabi Kachehri Producer: Vijay Tandon 20,000/-
Director: Ravindra Peepat 10,000/-
Citation: For highlighting the vulnerability of the judicial system, in which sometimes justification prevails over justice.
Best Feature Film in Tamil Mahanadhi Producer: S. A. Rajkannu 20,000/-
Director: Santhana Bharathi 10,000/-
Citation: For depicting the aspiration and frustrations of the protagonist, his separation from reunion with his children, spanning a vast canvas of various cinema skills put together into an epic saga of a struggle against justice.
Best Feature Film in Telugu Mister Pellam Producer: Gavara Partha Sarathi 20,000/-
Director: Bapu 10,000/-
Citation: For its satirical exploration of the myth of the male ego, being superior to that of female.
Best Feature Film in Urdu Muhafiz Producer: Wahid Chowhan 20,000/-
Director: Ismail Merchant 10,000/-
Citation: A breath-taking film, uniting the various film arts, crafts and technical skills into an integrated experience, with lasting images of a dying culture, in which a humanistic vision of life is being undermined by encroachment from acquisitive commercialism.

Best Feature Film in Each of the Language Other Than Those Specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution

Name of Award Name of Film Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Feature Film in Kodava Mandhara Phu Producer: B. N. Ravishankar 20,000/-
Director: S. R. Rajan 10,000/-
Citation: For depicting how unusual parental love affects children's life adversely too.
Best Feature Film in Tulu Bangara Patler Producer: Richard Castellano 20,000/-
Director: Richard Castellano 10,000/-
Citation: For depicting how money-power can take away everything from a simple and innocent community of villagers, using muscle power and political force.

Non-Feature Films

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Short Films made in any Indian language and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary/newsreel/fiction are eligible for non-feature film section.

Juries

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A committee headed by Bikram Singh was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. Following were the jury members:[1]

Golden Lotus Award

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Official Name: Swarna Kamal[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of Award Name of Film Language Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Non-Feature Film Maihar Raag Bengali Producer: Sunil Shanbag
Director: Arun Bhattacharjee
15,000/- Each
Citation: For presenting a candid and spontaneous portrayal of the decay of our heritage, as it is being engulfed by clouds of heartless commercialism.

Silver Lotus Award

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Official Name: Rajat Kamal[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.

Name of Award Name of Film Language Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best First Non-Feature Film Bazar Sitaram Hindi Producer: Neena Gupta for Films Division
Director: Neena Gupta
10,000/- Each
Citation: For presenting a delicate and sensitive portrayal of the culture, traditions and milieu of Old Delhi as a personalised experience.
Best Anthropological / Ethnographic Film Ladakh – Life Along the Indus English Producer: Bappa Ray
Director: Bappa Ray
10,000/- Each
Citation: For a visually enchanting depiction of the life patterns of the people living along the River Indus in Ladakh, with rich details emerging from their environment.
Best Biographical Film Colors of Absence English Producer: Shanta Gokhale and Arun Khopkar
Director: Arun khopkar
10,000/- Each
Citation: For a beautifully crafted and successful presentation of the biography of the painter, Jehangir Sabavala, through his work. The sound design of the film has also been meticulously conceived.
Best Arts / Cultural Film Anukampan Hindi Producer: Balaka Ghosh
Director: Balaka Ghosh
10,000/- Each
Citation: For focussing attention on a unique intermingling of classical and folk dance traditions which is in danger of extinction through an appealing film form.
Best Environment / Conservation / Preservation Film Orchids of Manipur Meitei Producer: Tomchou Singh
Director: Aribam Syam Sharma
10,000/- Each
Citation: For a colourful and extremely aesthetic presentation of the exalting abundance of the wild orchids of Manipur.
Best Promotional Film Timeless India English Producer: Zafar Hai
Director: Zafar Hai
10,000/- Each
Citation: For taking the viewer through a visually beautiful experience of the landmass called India, in all its varied colours and variety.
Best Agricultural Film Building From Below English Producer: N. G. Hegde
Director: Vishram Revankar
10,000/- Each
Citation: For demonstrating the prime importance of human development along with basic agricultural development activities.
Best Film on Social Issues The Women Betrayed English Producer: Sehjo Singh and Anwar Jamal
Director: Sehjo Singh
10,000/- Each
Citation: For the critical presentation of the phenomenon of witches and witch-hunting, provoked by forces within and outside, which is symbolic of the exploitation of a tribal community.
Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional Film AIDS Malayalam Producer: Nooranad Ramachandran, Ganesh Babu and Ochira Sathar
Director: Nooranad Ramachandran
10,000/- Each
Citation: For presenting information on this disease in a simple, straightforward and direct manner.
Best Exploration / Adventure Film The Splendour of Garhwal and Roopkund English Producer: The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam
Director: Victor Banerjee
10,000/- Each
Citation: For an imaginatively told and poetically picturised exploration of Garhwal and Roopkund.
Best Investigative Film Benefit For Whom at Whose Cost? English Producer: Dinesh Lakhanpal
Director: Dinesh Lakhanpal
10,000/- Each
Citation: For a well researched and detailed investigation of the fears and tribulations of the people living under the looming shadow of a long-delayed multipurpose hydel project.
Best Animation Film Chetak Hindi Producer: National Center of Films for Children and Young People
Director: V. G. Samant
Animator: V. G. Samant
10,000/- Each
Citation: For bringing alive the legendary horse in a most charming manner.
Best Short Fiction Film Sunday Hindi Producer: National Center of Films for Children and Young People
Director: Pankaj Advani
10,000/- Each
Citation: For taking a total holiday from logic and inhibitions and creating a most entertaining and humorous fantasy which, with all its improbabilities, will succeed in casting a spell on its audiences.
Best Film on Family Welfare Taveez Hindi Producer: Rajeev Mohan for Films Division
Director: Purushottam Berde for Films Division
10,000/- Each
Citation: For promoting the small family norm in a direct and effective manner.
Best Cinematography Moksha Bengali Cameraman: Piyush Shah 10,000/-
Citation: For documenting a tragic reality with all its moods and emotions.
Best Audiography Maihar Raag Bengali Indrajit Neogi 10,000/-
Citation: For extremely imaginative and conceptual use of location sounds to depict the crumbling heritage of the Maihar orchestra.
Best Editing Colors of Absence English Rajesh Parmar 10,000/-
Citation: For smooth, precise and excellently edited work, which gives the film its unique rhythm, in keeping with its form and content.
Best Music Direction Sunday Hindi Rajat Dholakia 10,000/-
Citation: For contributing significantly to the mood of fantasy which pervades the film through refreshing music, with innovative use of the human voice.
Special Jury Award Tragedy of an Indian Farmer English Murali Nair (Director) 10,000/-
Citation: For transcreating a well-known and touching Malayalam poem into a celluloid poem, with great sensitivity and economy.
Death of a Prodigal Son Hindi, English Mahesh Thottathil (Director)
Citation: For an interesting exploration of the stream-of-consciousness of a dying man in a restrained and stylised student film.

Best Writing on Cinema

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The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through publication of books, articles, reviews etc.

Juries

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A committee headed by Khalid Mohamed was appointed to evaluate the writing on Indian cinema. Following were the jury members:[1]

  • Jury Members

Golden Lotus Award

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Official Name: Swarna Kamal[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)' and cash prize.

Name of Award Name of Book Language Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Book on Cinema Naalo Nenu Telugu Author: Bhanumathi Ramakrishna
Publisher: K. N. T. Sastry
15,000/- Each
Citation: Her riveting autobiography provides an insight into the working of the Telugu film industry, while tracing her fascinating life and career, written with candour and in an immensely fluent style, the book undergoes the independent spirit of a woman in an excessively male dominated system of the show business. The lively and self-analytical work is a rare phenomenon in a field, where artistes seem to be unnecessarily hesitant to author their life stories
Best Film Critic Bengali Pritiman Sarkar 15,000/-
Citation: His articles are fine example of serious film criticism. Scholarly and sensitive to minute details of films, he has distilled years of his experience as a film society enthusiast into his writing. The jury was impressed by his insights and his love for cinema as an art form

Awards not given

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Following were the awards not given as no film was found to be suitable for the award:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "41st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Dadasaheb Phalke Award Past Recipients". Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Majrooh Sultanpuri passed away". BBC News. 25 May 2005. Archived from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
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