New Delhi, September 23: The President of India Droupadi Murmu, presented the 71st National Film Awards in various categories in New Delhi today. She also conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2023 on Mohanlal.
In the category of Best Feature Film in languages other than those specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution, the award for Best Garo Film has been conferred on Rimdogittanga. The film has been produced by Anna Films, Uncombed Buddha, and Joicy Studio, and directed by Dominic Megam Sangma. The award carries the Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000/- (each). The film is awarded for its immersive rural storytelling grounded in folklore and communal tension exploring fear, prophecy, social division through the sensitive perspective of a 10 year old boy.
The 71st National Film Awards celebrate excellence across Indian cinema, honouring films and filmmakers for their outstanding contribution to the art and craft of filmmaking. This year, the awards saw 332 entries in the feature film category, 115 in non-feature films, 27 books, and 16 critics’ submissions.
Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated all the award winners, as well as Mohanlal, who received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. She said that Mohanlal Ji has effortlessly portrayed the softest of the soft and the harshest of the harsh emotions, creating an image of the Complete Actor.
The President was happy to note that women-centric good films are being made and getting awards, too. She said that we all see that women struggle to some extent with poverty, patriarchy, or prejudice. She noted that the films awarded today include stories of mothers shaping the morals of their children, women uniting to confront social stereotypes, the plight of women amidst the complexities of home, family, and social order, and stories of courageous women who raise their voices against the inequalities of patriarchy. She appreciated such sensitive filmmakers.
