India’s prestigious 71st National Film Awards, announced on August 1, 2025, celebrated a dynamic year in Indian cinema, honouring both veterans and rising talents. The standout moment? Bollywood’s ‘King Khan’, Shah Rukh Khan, winning his first-ever National Award for Best Actor for his electrifying performance in Jawan, sharing the honour with Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail—a film that also clinched the Best Feature Film award.
Adding to the star power, Rani Mukerji took home Best Actress for her moving role in Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway, also her debut win at the National Film Awards. The awards not only celebrated mainstream Hindi cinema but gave centre stage to regional and independent films that broke new ground across formats.
Noteworthy wins included Hanu-Man as Best Film in AVGC, Flowering Man as Best Non-Feature Film, and God Vulture and Human for Best Documentary. From powerful social stories (Sam Bahadur, Ullozhukku) to genre-bending shorts like Giddh – The Scavenger, the awards highlighted India’s cinematic evolution across languages and formats.
This year saw 332 feature film entries and 115 non-feature submissions. The jury, chaired by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, recognised films from every corner of the country—from Assamese film Rongatapu 1982 to Tamil hit Parking, reaffirming India’s rich, multilingual film legacy.
The 71st edition was not just a celebration of names, but of narratives. It marked a resounding message: Indian cinema, in all its diversity, is now more globally recognised and creatively robust than ever before.
