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50th National Film Awards

2003 Indian film award


2003 Indian film award

FieldValue
number50
awardNational Film Awards
image50th NFA.JPG
caption50th National Film Awards
awarded_forBest of Indian cinema in 2002
award_orgDirectorate of Film Festivals
presenting_orgA. P. J. Abdul Kalam
(President of India)
announced_date
presented_date
websitedff.nic.in
lifetime_achievementDev Anand
best_featureMondo Meyer Upakhyan
best_non_featureNarayan Gangaram Surve
best_bookParoma and other Outsiders: The Cinema of Aparna Sen
Ritu Aaye Ritu Jaaye
best_criticUtpal Borpujari
most_winsKannathil Muthamittal (6)
last49th
next51st

(President of India) Ritu Aaye Ritu Jaaye

The 50th 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 2002.

Awards were announced by the committee headed by Prakash Jha, Rajiv Mehrotra and Udaya Tara Nayar for the feature films, non-feature films and books written on Indian cinema, respectively, on 26 July 2003; whereas the award ceremony took place on 29 December 2003 and awards were given away by then President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

Awards

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

Lifetime Achievement Award

Name of AwardImageAwardee(s)Awarded AsAwards
Dadasaheb Phalke Award[[File:Dev Anand still5.jpg75px]]url=http://dff.nic.in/PhalkeAward.aspxtitle=Dadasaheb Phalke Award Past Recipientspublisher=Directorate of Film Festivalsaccess-date=3 September 2020archive-date=18 July 2020archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718171203/http://dff.nic.in/PhalkeAward.aspxurl-status=live}}Actor, director and producerSwarna Kamal, and a Shawl

Feature films

Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 50th National Film Awards, a Bengali film, Mondo Meyer Upakhyan won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film; whereas a Tamil film, Kannathil Muthamittal won the maximum number of awards (6). Following were the awards given in each category:

Juries

A committee headed by Prakash Jha was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. Following were the jury members:

  • Jury Members
    • Prakash Jha (Chairperson)Amitabh ParasharArun KaulBiju ViswanathBiplab Roy ChowdharyDinyar Contractor
    • Gautam KaulK. S. L. SwamyKiran GhaiAlex MathewManoj TiwariMrinal Kanti DasMukesh Khanna
    • Nasir Mahmood QuraishiNirad N. MohapatraShyamaprasadRauf AhmedS. Theodore Baskaran
    • Saibal ChattopadhyaySreelekha MukherjiSwapan MallickZoobi Amir

All India Award

Following were the awards given:

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

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

Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Feature FilmMondo Meyer UpakhyanBengaliProducer: Arya Bhattacharya
director: Buddhadeb Dasgupta50,000/- Each
Citation: For its poetic exploration of human and social realities concerning people on the fringes of society.
Best Debut Film of a DirectorPatalgharBengaliProducer: Niti Sonee Gourisaria
Director: Abhijit Chaudhuri12,500/- Each
Citation: For its craftsmanship and fine blending of the conventions of science fiction and an indigenous narrative form.
ProhorBengaliProducer: Debjani Gupta
Director: Subhadro Chaudhary
Citation: For its use of sensitive idiom to portray the trauma of a brutalised woman.
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentDevdasHindiProducer: Bharat Shah
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali40,000/- Each
Citation: For its technical finesse and its modern reinterpretation of an enduring classic.
Best Children's FilmBaajaHindiProducer: Children's Film Society
Director: Apurba Kishore Bir30,000/- Each
Citation: For its poignant, portrayal of the maturing of a young mind.
Best DirectionMr. and Mrs. IyerEnglishAparna Sen50,000/-
Citation: For her effective and subtle handling of people caught in a trying and difficult times.
Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

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

Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Feature Film on National IntegrationMr. and Mrs. IyerEnglishProducer: N. Venkatesan
Director: Aparna Sen30,000/- Each
Citation: For its humane depiction of the bonding between two individuals of different religious backgrounds in the midst of communal tension.
Best Film on Other Social IssuesSwaraajHindiProducer: George Mathew
Director: Anwar Jamal30,000/- Each
Citation: For its strong and competent depiction of women's empowerment in rural India.
Best ActorThe Legend of Bhagat SinghHindiAjay Devgn10,000/-
Citation: For entering into the spirit of the legendary character and for living up to the challenge of history.
Best ActressMr. and Mrs. IyerEnglishKonkona Sen Sharma10,000/-
Citation: For her strong and effective portrayal of a Tamil Brahmin woman caught between an orthodox mindset and human compassion.
Best Supporting ActorNanba NanbaTamilV. Chandrasekhar10,000/-
Citation: For his touching and absorbing portrayal of a physically challenged man.
Best Supporting ActressShubho MahuratBengaliRaakhee10,000/-
Citation: For her finely balanced portrayal of an enigmatic and unlikely detective against a simple middle class background.
Best Child ArtistMakdeeHindiShweta Prasad5,000/- Each
Citation: For her spontaneous and lively portrayal of twin sisters.
Kannathil MuthamittalTamilP. S. Keerthana
Citation: For her heart vending portrayal of a girl in search of her mother.
Best Male Playback SingerZindagi Khoobsurat Hai
("Chhote Chhote Sapne")HindiUdit Narayan10,000/-
Citation: For his melodious rendering of the title song.
Best Female Playback SingerDevdas
("Bairi Piya")HindiShreya Ghoshal10,000/-
Citation: For her soulful rendering of the song.
Best CinematographyPatalgharBengaliCameraman: Abhik Mukhopadhyay
Laboratory Processing: Rainbow Color Lab10,000/- Each
Citation: For creating the distinctive and elegant visual ambience of the film that is excellently in tune with the mood of the story.
Best ScreenplayMr. and Mrs. IyerEnglishAparna Sen10,000/-
Citation: For its fluid narration of the nuances of an ambiguous relationship in troubled times.
Best AudiographyKannathil MuthamittalTamilA. S. Laxmi Narayanan
H. Sridhar5,000/- Each
Citation: For creating a sounds cape that heightens the dramatic conflicts of the story.
Best EditingKannathil MuthamittalTamilA. Sreekar Prasad10,000/-
Citation: For heightening the dramatic conflicts of the story.
Best Art DirectionDevdasHindiNitin Chandrakant Desai10,000/-
Citation: For creating an evocative visual setting for the romantic drama.
Best Costume DesignDevdasHindiNeeta Lulla
Abu Jani
Sandeep Khosla
Reza Shariffi10,000/-
Citation: For their researched, inventive, designing of costumes enhancing the persona of the various characters.
Best Music DirectionKannathil MuthamittalTamilSongs and Background Score: A. R. Rahman10,000/-
Citation: For his original musical score highlighting the cultural conflicts and personal anguish in the story.
Best LyricsKannathil MuthamittalTamilVairamuthu10,000/-
Citation: For rising above the conventions of film songs to reach the realms of poetry.
Best Special EffectsMagic MagicTamilIndian Artists10,000/-
Citation: For the skilful use of digital technology to create a world of fantasy and magic.
Best ChoreographyDevdas
("Dola Re Dola")HindiSaroj Khan10,000/-
Citation: For her creation of captivating dance movements to reflect the spirit of the characters and the period.
Special Jury AwardMultiple filmsPrakash Raj (Actor)25,000/-
Citation: For the impressive power and versatility, which he has contributed to films in multiple languages.
Special MentionBhavamMalayalamJyothirmayi (Actress)Certificate Only
Citation: For her remarkable performance.

Regional Awards

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

Name of AwardName of FilmAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Feature Film in AssameseKonikar RamdhenuProducer: Sailadhar Baruah
Director: Jahnu Barua20,000/- Each
Citation: For its sensitive portrayal of child abuse.
Best Feature Film in BengaliShubho MahuratProducer: Jagannath Films
Director: Rituparno Ghosh20,000/- Each
Citation: For its intelligent handling of characters in a detective story.
Best Feature Film in HindiThe Legend of Bhagat SinghProducer: Tips Industries
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi20,000/- Each
Citation: For its gripping portrayal of the life and times of a legendary martyr.
Best Feature Film in KannadaSingaaravvaProducer: Sandesh Nagraj
Director: T. S. Nagabharana20,000/- Each
Citation: For its stylised treatment of a folk tale.
Best Feature Film in MalayalamNizhalkuthuProducer: Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan20,000/- Each
Citation: For its exploration of the mind of a hangman.
Best Feature Film in MarathiVastupurushProducer: NFDC
Director: Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar20,000/- Each
Citation: For its competent handling of a feudal family caught in the vortex of social change in post-independence India.
Best Feature Film in TamilKannathil MuthamittalProducer: Madras Talkies
Director: Mani Ratnam20,000/- Each
Citation: For its superb craftsmanship and commitment to a contemporary tragedy.

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

Name of AwardName of FilmAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Feature Film in EnglishStumbleProducer: 2 Streams Media
Director: Prakash Belawadi20,000/- Each
Citation: For its intelligent handling of corruption prevailing in the world of information technology.

Non-Feature Films

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

A committee headed by Rajiv Mehrotra was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. Following were the jury members:

  • Jury Members
    • Rajiv Mehrotra (Chairperson)Apurba SharmaKanan KrishnamurthySatya NarayanSatya Prakash 'Aseem'

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

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

Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Non-Feature FilmNarayan Gangaram SurveMarathiProducer: Khayal Trust
Director: Arun Khopkar20,000/- Each
Citation: For the innovative telling of the story of the life of the great Marathi poet juxtaposed with the evocative visualisation of his poems. The film makes brilliant use of image and metaphor as it evolves a complex and powerful narrative.
Best Non-Feature Film DirectionA Few Things I Know About HerEnglishAnjali Panjabi10,000/- Each
Citation: For the film on the saint Mirabai. With rare cinematic virtuosity, she brings together different strands from the elusive Mirabai's drawing upon stories, poetry, myth and legend into a cohesive whole.

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal

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

Name of AwardName of FilmLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best First Non-Feature FilmParamapathamTamilProducer: Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu
Director: Prabhu Radhakrishnan5,000/- Each
Citation: For displaying a mature control of film form and weaves a taught, powerful and short narrative fiction to tell the story of a sculptor as the unanswered questions of his life unfold.
Beyond or WithinEnglishProducer: P. T. M. Payyoli
Director: Vinod Mankara
Citation: For its balanced exploration through an informative documentary on the ancient occult science and practice of the controversial Mantravada.
Best Anthropological / Ethnographic FilmThe Morung – Silent Witness of the Brave WanchoEnglishProducer: Anthropological Survey of India
Director: Bappa Ray10,000/- Each
Citation: For its detailed and painstaking yet engaging documentation of The Wancho Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. The film imaginatively tells the story of both their past and the present through its vivid account of the central role that the 'dormitory' once played in the community.
Best Biographical FilmMeeting ManjitEnglishProducer: Ina Puri
Director: Buddhadeb Dasgupta10,000/- Each
Citation: For making incisive use of the visual potential of cinema to give us rare insight into an artist's life, his subconscious and its articulation on canvas. The film brilliantly juxtaposes the journeys of the artist, his friend Ina and the film maker himself.
Best Arts / Cultural FilmThe Eye of the Fish – The Kalaries Of KeralaEnglishProducer: Films Division
Director: Priya Krishna Swamy10,000/- Each
Citation: For the rich visual texture of the film on Kalarippayuttu with its simple and effective story telling powerfully counterpoints its message of the need to reject violence and war and develop a focused mind as a potent tool of self realisation.
Best Environment / Conservation / Preservation FilmUrumattramTamilProducer: G. Meenakshi Sundaram and B.Sivakumar
Director: B.Sivakumar10,000/- Each
Citation: For moving short fiction that captures the depth of human emotions embodied in mans relationship to nature that nurtures him. Even as all seems lost to the family patriarch as trees must make way for a plastic factory, the grand son offers seeds of hope.
Best Promotional FilmThe Treasure in the Snow: A Film On SikkimEnglishProducer: Ministry of External Affairs and South Asia Foundation
Director: Goutam Ghose10,000/- Each
Citation: For its weaving of a magical cinematic spell that vividly captures the mist and mystery of the abundant natural beauty of Sikkim – its history, people and culture.
Best Film on Social IssuesAvchetanHindiProducer: Prem Matiyani for Films Division and Ministry of Social Empowerment
Director: Manisha Dwivedi10,000/- Each
Citation: For its sensitive and direct portrayal of the predicaments and crisis of homosexuality both for the individual and his family. The short film powerfully covers a large canvas bringing together a team of outstanding new talent from the FTII led by Manisha Diwedi.
Best Short Fiction FilmSunder JibonBengaliProducer: Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute
Director: Sandeep Chattopadhyay10,000/- Each
Citation: For its sensitive and nuanced story about a writer and the sour taste of beauty. The film is notable for its technical excellence and the excellent synergy created by the young director Sandip Chattopadhyay and his colleagues from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Calcutta. This award applauds them all.
Best Film on Family WelfareDhatri PannaHindiProducer: Films Division and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Director: Gul Bahar Singh10,000/- Each
Citation: For its success in the simple yet difficult art of cinematic story telling with an important and explicit message for its rural audience, of how the tradition of the village dai can and must give way to the trained midwife.
Best Editing00:00EnglishPratap P Nair10,000/-
Citation: For its intelligent and engaging use of cinematic form and structure as it weaves itself in and out of hotel rooms and people's lives on New Year's Eve at a sea-side hotel.
Best Music DirectionKalighat Paintings And DrawingsEnglishRaja Mitra10,000/-
Citation: For a simple yet engaging music track that brings alive the Kalighat paintings in the film of the same title.
Special Jury Award00:00EnglishWrik Basu and team (Director)10,000/-
Citation: For its intelligent and engaging use of cinematic form and structure as it weaves itself in and out of hotel rooms and people's lives on New Year's Eve at a sea-side hotel.
Special MentionKalighat Paintings And DrawingsEnglishRaja Mitra (Director)Certificate Only
Citation: For its significant achievement in documenting the rich artistic tradition and its implicit social commentary.

Best Writing on Cinema

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

A committee headed by Udaya Tara Nayar was appointed to evaluate the writing on Indian cinema. Following were the jury members:

  • Jury Members
    • Udaya Tara Nayar (Chairperson)Om ThanviRashmi Doraiswamy

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal

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

Name of AwardName of BookLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Best Book on CinemaParoma and other Outsiders: The Cinema of Aparna SenEnglishAuthor: Shoma Chatterjee
Publisher: Parumita Publications15,000/- Each
Citation: For her painstaking work and thought-provoking study of the works of Aparna Sen with a clear focus on their socio-economic relevance and context.
Ritu Aaye Ritu JaayeHindiAuthor: Sarat Dutt
Publisher: Saaransh Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Citation: For a biography of a trend-setting music director, the late Anil Biswas, whose life story encompasses not just his personal struggles and achievements but also the scenario of Hindi film music when it was at its creative best.
Best Film CriticEnglishUtpal Borpujari15,000/-
Citation: For his sensitive analysis of a wide range of films – Indian, foreign, feature and documentary – and his attempt to focus on social issues and changing family mores and values.

Special Mention

All the award winners are awarded with Certificate of Merit.

Name of AwardLanguageAwardee(s)Cash prize
Special Mention (Film Critic)MarathiAshok RaneCertificate Only
Citation: For his objective evaluation of trends in cinema in India as well as abroad.

Awards not given

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

  • Best Film on Family Welfare
  • Best Film on Environment / Conservation / Preservation
  • Best Feature Film in Manipuri
  • Best Feature Film in Oriya
  • Best Feature Film in Punjabi
  • Best Feature Film in Telugu
  • Best Scientific Film
  • Best Agricultural Film
  • Best Historical Reconstruction / Compilation Film
  • Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional Film
  • Best Exploration / Adventure Film
  • Best Investigative Film
  • Best Animation Film
  • Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography
  • Best Non-Feature Film Audiography

References

References

  1. "50th National Film Awards". Directorate of Film Festivals.
  2. "Dadasaheb Phalke Award Past Recipients". Directorate of Film Festivals.
  3. "50th National film Awards (Feature Films)". Press Information Bureau (PIB), India.
  4. "50th National film Awards (Non-Feature Films)". Press Information Bureau (PIB), India.
  5. "50th National film Awards (Books)". Press Information Bureau (PIB), India.
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