29th National Film Awards

29th National Film Awards
Awarded forBest of Indian cinema in 1981
Awarded byDirectorate of Film Festivals
Presented byNeelam Sanjiva Reddy
(President of India)
Presented onApril 1982 (1982-04)
Official websitedff.nic.in
Highlights
Best Feature FilmDakhal
Best BookThamizh Cinemavin Kathai
Dadasaheb Phalke AwardNaushad Ali
Most awardsUmrao Jaan (4)

The 29th 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 1981.[1] Ceremony took place in April 1982.

With 29th National Film Awards, new category for books on Indian cinema was introduced. The awards aim at the encouraging the 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

Three different committees were formed for feature films, short films and books on cinema, headed by veteran actor Ashok Kumar, Vasant Joglekar and Asok Mitra respectively.[1]

Awards

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

Lifetime Achievement Award

Name of Award Image Awardee(s) Awarded As Awards
Dadasaheb Phalke Award Naushad Ali Music director Swarna Kamal, ₹40,000 and a Shawl

Feature films

Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 29th National Film Awards, a Bengali film, Dakhal won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film whereas a Hindi film, Umrao Jaan won the maximum number of awards (four). In the honour of veteran actress Nargis Dutt who died in 1981, award for best feature film on national integration was renamed as Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. Following were the awards given in each category:[1]

All India Award

Following were the awards given:[1]

Name of Award Name of Film Language Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Feature Film Dakhal Bengali Producer: Government of West Bengal Swarna Kamal and ₹50,000/-
Director: Gautam Ghose Swarna Kamal and ₹25,000/-
Citation: For the visual eloquence with which it portrays the travails of a daughter of a soil courageously fighting for a social justice in the face of all odds and for the remarkable ability of its young director who writes the screenplay, handles the camera, scores the music and directs the film in a poetic manner.
Second Best Feature Film Pokkuveyil Malayalam Producer: K. Ravindran Nair Rajat Kamal and ₹30,000/-
Director: G. Aravindan Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Citation: For visualising in a sustained, poetic manner the gnawing agony of the human mind dangerously hovering on the edge of insanity; for marrying the images superbly with haunting classical music on the sound track and creating an unorthodox, sensitive, deeply moving work of exquisite beauty.
Best Feature Film on National Integration Sapthapadhi Telugu Producer: Bheemavarapu Buchhireddy Rajat Kamal and ₹30,000/-
Director: K. Viswanath Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Citation: For focusing on the problems of the society whose orthodoxy inflicts grave injustice on the under-privileged, for the dilemma faced by a Brahmin disciplinarian in confronting his grand-daughter's love for Harijan, for resolving the problem in a rational manner, worthy of the country's best secular traditions.
Best Debut Film of a Director Aadharshila Hindi Producer and Director: Ashok Ahuja Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For making a bold statement on the aspirations and frustrations of the young generation of film-makers he himself represents and for a very sensitive treatment of the relationship between an idealist director and an inscrutable story-write.
Best Direction 36 Chowringhee Lane English Aparna Sen Rajat Kamal and ₹20,000/-
Citation: For effectively orchestrating the creative and technical elements in her first film, for a poignant portrayal of loneliness in old age and for bringing to the screen a true-to-life situation in post-independence India.
Best Screenplay Thanneer Thanneer Tamil K. Balachander Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For translating the suffering of the people in drought-affected areas into a gripping visual narrative.
Best Actor Arohan Hindi Om Puri Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For a very convincing portrayal of a harassed farmer courageously fighting vested interests who seek to block the implementation of land reforms.
Best Actress Umrao Jaan Hindi Rekha Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For appealing portrayal of Umrao Jaan, a real life courtesan and poetess of the 19th century.
Best Child Artist Imagi Ningthem Meitei Leikhendra Singh Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/-
Citation: For an endearing portrayal of a child and his yearning for a mother's love.
Best Cinematography (Color) 36 Chowringhee Lane English Ashok Mehta Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For the technical excellence, for highlighting the tonality, texture and nuances of the story and for an outstanding work as a cameraman.
Best Cinematography (Black and White) Mooru Darigalu Kannada Shripati R. Bhat Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For projecting the mood of the film in a vivid manner.
Best Audiography Elippathayam Malayalam P. Devadas Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For a brilliantly mixed soundtrack and impressive use of silences to underline the dramatic moments of the film.
Best Editing Arohan Hindi Bhanudas Divakar Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For precision in timing, for excellent juxtaposition of images, for sustained tempo and rhythm and a masterful creation of the deluge sequence.
Best Art Direction Umrao Jaan Hindi Manzoor Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For re-creating the sets of the Lucknow Kothas and aristocratic homes with an unerring sense of the historical period portrayed.
Best Music Direction Umrao Jaan Hindi Khayyam Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For a finely turned score which invokes the spirit of the period and for a felicitous use of music to enrich the central character of the film.
Best Male Playback Singer Ek Duuje Ke Liye Hindi S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For great feeling and sense of rhythm which he brings to his vocal rendering.
Best Female Playback Singer Umrao Jaan Hindi Asha Bhosle Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/-
Citation: For the style with which she invests the rendering of the ghazals that form a part of the texture of the film.
Special Jury Award Sadgati Hindi Satyajit Ray Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/-
Citation: For making the strongest of comments in the simplest of languages on the caste system and for probing the complex relationship between a downtrodden tanner and a callous Brahmin priest in a village.

Regional Award

The awards were given to the best films made in the regional languages of India. For feature films in Assamese, Gujarati, Kashmiri and Punjabi language, award for Best Feature Film was not given.[1]

Name of Award Name of Film Awardee(s) Awards
Best Feature Film in Bengali Adalat o Ekti Meye Producer: Dhiresh Kumar Chakraborty Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: Tapan Sinha Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For its powerful presentation of the problems of rape and its shattering after-effects in the life of a woman.
Best Feature Film in English 36 Chowringhee Lane Producer: Shashi Kapoor Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: Aparna Sen Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For eloquently portraying the tragedy of a lonely woman belonging to the Anglo-Indian community in contemporary India.
Best Feature Film in Hindi Arohan Producer: Government of West Bengal Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: Shyam Benegal Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For hard-hitting treatment of contemporary reality, especially as it is reflected in the continuing predicament of the West Bengal peasantry.
Best Feature Film in Kannada Bara Producer: M. S. Sathyu Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: M. S. Sathyu Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For an incisive analysis of the socio-political situation in a drought affected district.
Best Feature Film in Malayalam Elippathayam Producer: K. Ravindran Nair Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For presenting the total decadence of the feudal system with unusual sensitivity and realism and for perceptively portraying the personal tragedy of those caught up in it.
Best Feature Film in Manipuri Imagi Ningthem Producer: K. Ibohal Sharma Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: Aribam Syam Sharma Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For its charm, simplicity and freshness of approach.
Best Feature Film in Marathi Umbartha Producer: D. V. Rao and Jabbar Patel Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: Jabbar Patel Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For a sincere cinematic statement on the theme of a woman seeking to establish her identity by pursuing a career, even at the risk of alienation from her family.
Best Feature Film in Oriya Seeta Raati Producer: Balram Misra Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: Manmohan Mahapatra Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For a commendable work on the theme of a woman who faces life courageously despite the orthodox forces aligned against her.
Best Feature Film in Tamil Thanneer Thanneer Producer: P. R. Govindarajan Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: K. Balachander Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For powerfully projecting the helplessness of a village community living in a drought-affected area and its valiant efforts to solve its problem through self-help being thwarted by an insensitive administrative system.
Best Feature Film in Telugu Seethakoka Chiluka Producer: Edida Nageshwara Rao Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/-
Director: Bharathiraja Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/-
Citation: For skilfully handling the theme of inter-communal marriage and making an impassioned stand against bigotry.

Non-Feature films

Following were the awards given:[1]

Name of Award Name of Film Language Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Information Film Faces After The Storm Hindi Producer: Yash Chaudhary for Films Division
Director: Prakash Jha 		Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- Each
Citation: For a hard-hitting comment on a social problem capturing the anguish and horror of communal violence, made without compromise but with humanism and sincerity.
Best Educational / Instructional Film The Four Minutes English Producer: Vijay B. Chandra for Films Division
Director: B. G. Devare 		Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- Each
Citation: For an effective and purposeful film made with imagination and skill which may save precious lives.
Best Promotional Film Hydrum English Producer: Omprakash Sharma for Films Division
Director: Mahmood Quereshi 		Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- Each
Citation: For putting across innovative techniques of lifting water which will revolutionise the concept and practice of agriculture in hilly areas.
Best Animation Film The Thinker? English Producer: B. R. Shendge for Films Division
Director: A. R. Sen
Animator: M. Paralkar 		Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- Each
Citation: For well done animation and for focusing on the problems of man and his environment.
Best News Review News Magazine No. 12 English Vijay B. Chandra for Films Division Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/-
Citation: For its overall technical competence.

Best Writing on Cinema

With 29th National Film Awards, new category for books on Indian cinema was introduced. The awards aim at the encouraging the 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. Following were the awards given:[1]

Name of Award Name of Book Language Awardee(s) Cash Prize
Best Book on Cinema Thamizh Cinemavin Kathai Tamil Author: Aranthai Narayanan ₹5,000/-
Citation: For being the first systematic full length account of the Tamil cinema from its inception, with pertinent observation on the art of film making, for the likelihood of it enduring as a standard reference work, for lucid, systematic writing with appropriate illustrations, for being based more on original and personal perceptions than on derived or second-hand sources.

Awards not given

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

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "29th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2020.