The 70th National Film Awards were announced on Friday, honoring the best Indian films of 2022. Among the winners, Rishabh Shetty was recognized as Best Actor for his role in Kantara, while Anand Ekkarshi’s Malayalam film Attam won Best Feature Film. Nithya Menon and Manasi Parekh received the Best Actress awards, and Manoj Bajpayee earned a Special Mention for his role in Gulmohar. But how much do these accolades translate into prize money from the Government of India? Here’s a breakdown of the rewards associated with the National Film Awards.
Prize Money for National Film Awards 2024 Winners
The National Film Awards, one of India’s most prestigious cinematic honors, includes several categories with varying prize amounts. The highest honor is the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which comes with a prize of ₹15 lakh. This is followed by awards in the Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal) and Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) categories, each with its own cash prize.
Golden Lotus Awards
The Golden Lotus category, also known as Swarna Kamal, is awarded in several major categories, each coming with a cash prize of ₹3 lakh. This year’s winners include:
- Best Film: Attam (Director Anand Ekkarshi, Producer Joy Movie Productions)
- Best Debut Film: Fauja (Director Pramod Kumar)
- Best Popular Entertaining Film: Kantara (Producer Hombale Films LLP, Director Rishabh Shetty)
- Best Film in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comic): Brahmastra – Part 1: Shiva (Director Ayan Mukherjee)
- Best Director: Sooraj Barjatya for Unchai
Each of these winners will receive a cash prize of ₹3 lakh along with the Golden Lotus trophy.
Silver Lotus Awards
The Silver Lotus category, or Rajat Kamal, includes several awards with a cash prize of ₹2 lakh each. Winners in this category for 2024 include:
- Best Actor: Rishabh Shetty for Kantara
- Best Actress: Nithya Menon and Manasi Parekh
- Best Actor/Actress in Supporting Role: Pawan Raj Malhotra and Neena Gupta
- Best Playback Singer: Arijit Singh
- Best Feature Film on Social Issues, National Importance, and Environment: Various regional language films
These winners will receive a cash prize of ₹2 lakh each, along with the Silver Lotus trophy.
Special Mention Awards
The Special Mention Awards, which recognize notable contributions without a cash prize, include:
- Manoj Bajpayee for his performance in Gulmohar
- Sanjay Salil Chaudhary for his work on the Malayalam film Kadhikan
These awardees will receive certificates but no monetary reward.
Comparison with Other Prestigious Awards
Unlike the National Film Awards, the Academy Awards, or Oscars, do not provide cash prizes to winners. Instead, Oscar recipients receive a hamper containing various gifts, which, according to a report by Reuters, was valued at over $170,000 (approximately ₹1.42 crore) this year.
As the winners of the National Film Awards celebrate their achievements, the prize money and recognition serve as a significant acknowledgment of their contributions to Indian cinema.
