47th National Film Awards

47th National Film Awards
Awarded for	Best of Indian cinema in 1999
Awarded by	Directorate of Film Festivals
Presented by	K. R. Narayanan (President of India)
Announced on	5 July 2000 (2000-07-05)
Presented on	18 September 2000 (2000-09-18)
Site	Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
Official website	dff.nic.in
Highlights
Best Feature Film	Vanaprastham
Best Non-Feature Film	Dui Paatan Ke Beech Mein
Best Book	• Malayala Cinemayum Sahithyavum  • Marathi Chitrapat Sangeetachi Vatchal
Best Film Critic	I. Shanmughadas
Dadasaheb Phalke Award	Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Most awards	Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (4)
← 46th National Film Awards 48th →

The 47th 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 1999.^[1][2] Ceremony took place on 18 September 2000 and awards were given by then President of India, K. R. Narayanan.

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

Name of Award	Image	Awardee(s)	Awarded As	Awards
Dadasaheb Phalke Award		Hrishikesh Mukherjee[3]	director	Swarna Kamal, ₹ 100,000 and a Shawl

Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 47th National Film Awards, a Malayalam film, Vanaprastham won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film; whereas a Hindi film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam won the maximum number of awards (4). Following were the awards given in each category:^[1][2]

A committee headed by Gautam Ghose was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. Following were the jury members:^[1][2]

• Jury Members
  • Gautam Ghose (Chairperson) • Kalpana Agarwal • Saeed Akhtar Mirza • Mohan Sharma • G. V. G. Raju • Gautami
  • K. Ravindranathan Nair • Sreelekha Mukherji • T. S. Nagabharana • K. Janaki Ram • Leslie Carvalho • Moloya Goswami
  • Arun Kaul • Ratnottama Sengupta • Sanjeev Bhargava • Ram Gopal Bajaj

Following were the awards given:^[1][2]

Official Name: Swarna Kamal^[1][2]

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

Name of Award	Name of Film	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Feature Film	Vanaprastham	Malayalam	Producer: Mohanlal Director: Shaji N. Karun	₹ 50,000/- Each
	Citation: For its multi layered treatment of issues like caste system, patronage to the arts, Guru Shishya Parampara, and the identity crisis of a performing artiste.
Best Debut Film of a Director	Dollar Dreams	English	Producer: Sekhar Kammula Director: Sekhar Kammula	₹ 12,500/- Each
	Citation: For tacking in a very natural manner the burning problem of brain drain to the techno-logically developed world.
	Laado	Haryanvi	Producer: Kumud Chaudhary Director: Ashwini Chaudhary
	Citation: For taking a bold stand over women's rights in the traditionally orthodox agricultural community of Haryana.
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment	Sarfarosh	Hindi	Producer: John Matthew Matthan Director: John Matthew Matthan	₹ 40,000/- Each
	Citation: For its engrossing projection of an honest officer, who fights engineered subversion which fuels suspicion and sours relationship between two communities. A bold subject for the debut film of a director in mainstream cinema.
Best Children's Film	Goal	Hindi	Producer: Children's Film Society Director: Gul Bahar Singh	₹ 30,000/- Each
	Citation: For stressing the sportsmanship of a small town coach who supports, without any bias, the raw talent of an underprivileged aspirant with no education and with a social stigma.
Best Direction	Uttara	Bengali	Buddhadeb Dasgupta	₹ 50,000/-
	Citation: For his skilful weaving together of different strands of life through metaphors, symbols and folk icons, to question the definition of humanity in our scoundrel times.

Official Name: Rajat Kamal^[1][2]

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

Name of Award	Name of Film	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Feature Film on National Integration	Shaheed Udham Singh	Punjabi	Producer: Iqbal Dhillon Director: Chitraarth	₹ 30,000/- Each
	Citation: For opening a new window to the Jallianwala Bagh episode, which had jolted the conscience of the Indian people.
Best Film on Family Welfare	Hari-Bhari	Hindi	Producer: Government of India Director: Shyam Benegal	₹ 30,000/- Each
	Citation: For unfolding several aspects of family life in an Indian Town where awareness of women's health and upbringing of girl-child is enveloped in ignorance and blind belief.
Best Film on Other Social Issues	Kairee	Hindi	Producer: Government of India Director: Amol Palekar	₹ 30,000/- Each
	Citation: For its charming portrayal of the need to give a secure future, through education, to the girl-child in the backwaters of the country.
Best Film on Environment / Conservation / Preservation	Jalamarmaram	Malayalam	Producer: Latha Kurien Rajeev and Radhika Suresh Gopi Director: T. K. Rajeev Kumar	₹ 30,000/- Each
	Citation: For handling a theme of great concern in the increasingly polluted environs of our industrial towns and cities, through the imaginative touch of a fairly tale.
Best Actor	Vanaprastham	Malayalam	Mohanlal	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For his nuanced portrayal of the identity crisis experienced by a performing artiste who, in his personal life too, is torn between the denial of both, paternal identity and his own paternity rights.
Best Actress	Bariwali	Bengali	Kirron Kher	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For the range of emotions she brings into play in living the role of an ageing woman whose unfulfilled desires make her a game for emotional exploitation by a dream-merchant.
Best Supporting Actor	Hey Ram	Tamil	Atul Kulkarni	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For his serious performance as a cold blooded fundamentalist stalking the cities during the turbulent years of partition that led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Best Supporting Actress	Bariwali	Bengali	Sudipta Chakraborty	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For playing the zest for life of a maidservant who comes from the slums and lives in a Haveli.
	Paromitar Ek Din	Bengali	Sohini Haldar
	Citation: For breathing life into the schizophrenic daughter who knows she is a burden on her mother, but cannot help it.
Best Child Artist	Jalamarmaram	Malayalam	Aswin Thampy	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For playing the innocent faith of a child in the existence of a mermaid, and his confident strides to provide it with a safe environment.
Best Male Playback Singer	Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum ("Chanthupottum Chankelassum")	Malayalam	M. G. Sreekumar	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For a heartwarming rendition of the song.
Best Female Playback Singer	Paromitar Ek Din ("Hridoy Amar Prokash Holo")	Bengali	Jayshree Dasgupta	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For soulful rendering by the singer expressing the inner world of a mentally challenged character in this film.
Best Cinematography	Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam	Hindi	Cameraman: Anil Mehta Laboratory Processing: Adlabs	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For a wide range of tonal variations achieved by the cinematographer to express the changing moods of this musical in a given space and time.
Best Screenplay	Karunam	Malayalam	Madampu Kunjukuttan	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For expressing with extreme economy and skilful cinematic treatment a story based on a sensitive screenplay woven around an old couple.
Best Audiography	Uttara	Bengali	Anup Mukhopadhyay	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For creating the ambience of sound in different layers to create an atmosphere in support of the stark visuals. The final mixed sound track has enhanced the effect of viewing the film enormously.
Best Editing	Vanaprastham	Malayalam	A. Sreekar Prasad	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For maintaining the required unity of form and content by putting images and sound tracks in perfect harmony and rhythm for this film.
Best Art Direction	Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam	Hindi	Nitin Chandrakant Desai	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For recreating the haveli ambience and matching it with the existing structure used, the décor of the sets and for recreating the best of life styles of the region.
Best Costume Design	Hey Ram	Tamil	Sarika	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For recreating a range of period costumes worn by characters from regions as varied as Lahore, Calcutta, Madras and Delhi and coming down to present times.
Best Music Direction	Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam	Hindi	Ismail Darbar	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For an innovative score that blends in the entire spectrum of Indian music form Classical to folk to embellish the musical narrative.
Best Lyrics	Sangamam ("Mudhal Murai Killipparthaein")	Tamil	Vairamuthu	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For the lyric "Mudhal Murai Killipparthaein" in the Tamil film Sangamam. In his own imitable style the renowned poet has imparted a certain lyrical charm to the song.
Best Special Effects	Hey Ram	Tamil	Mantra	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For judicious use of special effects to enhance the feel of living in the past and conversing with a legend of Indian history.
Best Choreography	Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam ("Dholi Taro")	Hindi	• Sameer Tanna  • Arsh Tanna  • Vaibhavi Merchant	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For combining musical elements in the dance number skilfully composed by the choreographer to enrich visual opulence.
Special Jury Award	Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum	Malayalam	Kalabhavan Mani (Actor)	₹ 25,000/-
	Citation: For a sensitive and realistic portrayal of a blind man complete with his behavioural and gestural distortions as he copes with difficulties in making life meaningful.
Special Mention	Gharabaher	Marathi	Mohan Joshi (Actor)	Certificate Only
	Citation: For his wonderfully controlled performance of a corrupt politician.
	Baibhab	Assamese	Manju Borah (Director)
	Citation: For her poetic expression in her debut film.
	Deveeri	Kannada	Kavitha Lankesh (Director)
	Citation: For her exuberant debut as a director.

The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India.^[1][2]

Name of Award	Name of Film	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Feature Film in Assamese	Pokhi	Producer: Dolphin Communications Director: Jahnu Barua	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For beautifully structured film centred around the turmoil in the life of an orphan the film finely balances the demands of characterisation, perform-ance and storytelling to focus attention on the role played by the child in bringing about an attitudinal change in a selfish money lender.
Best Feature Film in Bengali	Paromitar Ek Din	Producer: Rajesh Agarwal Director: Aparna Sen	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For depicting the changing temper of society and the changing balances of human relationships very sensitively portrayed. The film highlights the changing equations between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who begin as adversaries and become confidantes.
Best Feature Film in Hindi	Shool	Producer: Nitin Manmohan and Ram Gopal Varma Director: E. Nivas	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For unveiling the complete collapse of the socio-political system. A very effective portrayal of the determined fight of a single citizen in the centre of a façade of democracy.
Best Feature Film in Kannada	Kanooru Heggadithi	Producer: H. G. Narayana, C. M. Narayana and I. P. Mallegowda Director: Girish Karnad	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For depicting increasing gaps between generation and genders very sensitively portrayed through the three main female characters.
Best Feature Film in Malayalam	Punaradhivasam	Producer: N. P. Prakash Director: V. K. Prakash	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For depicting an intricately structured screenplay about the need for discovering new adjustments in family relationship and the complexities and fallacies of conjugal harmony.
Best Feature Film in Marathi	Gharabaher	Producer: Ratan Madan and Narendra Shinde Director: Sanjay Surkar	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For depicting the hypocrisy exercised by man in complete contradiction of declared socio-political positions and a total reversal of behaviour when it comes to power and lust. It draws attention to the inherent problems in the empowerment of women.
Best Feature Film in Odia	Biswaprakash	Producer: NFDC Director: Susant Misra	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For depicting the story of a young man in search of his identify and direction in life. The beautifully photo-graphed film depicts the lack of opportunities in a small town.
Best Feature Film in Tamil	Sethu	Producer: A. Kandasamy Director: Bala	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For an impressive debut by a director with a commendable grasp of the grammar of mainstream cinema. It deserves special mention for combining popular elements with the unconventional.
Best Feature Film in Telugu	Kalisundam Raa	Producer: Daggubati Suresh Babu Director: Uday Shankar	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For a conventionally structured film in the genre of mainstream cinema which conveys in an entertaining and wholesome manner a social message of togetherness and the need for preserving the unit of the joint family.

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.

A committee headed by Jabbar Patel was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. Following were the jury members:^[1][2]

• Jury Members
  • Jabbar Patel (Chairperson) • Malay Bhattacharya • O. K. Johny • Meera Dewan • Rashmi Doraiswamy

Official Name: Swarna Kamal^[1][2]

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

Name of Award	Name of Film	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Non-Feature Film	Dui Paatan Ke Beech Mein (Between the Devil and the Deep River)	Hindi	Producer: Arvind Sinha Director: Arvind Sinha	₹ 20,000/- Each
	Citation: For its in-depth portrayal of an environmental disaster in North Bihar, of lives uprooted and rendered ‘amphibian’ due to the blind imposition of the development model of embankment of rivers.

Official Name: Rajat Kamal^[1][2]

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

Name of Award	Name of Film	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best First Non-Feature Film	Deivangal Padiyirangumbol (When Gods Depart)	Tamil	Producer: Pradeep Kumar Director: Pradeep Kumar	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For its objective and well-researched point of view on the lives of tribes in the Wayanad region; it captures their fragile existence cause in the process of change.
Best Anthropological / Ethnographic Film	Koihatir Dhulia	Assamese	Producer: Satyabrat Kalita Director: Hemanta Das	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For its portrayal of the maestro Mohan Bhawria and his contribution to the revival of an art form from oblivion, its dissemination, and its incorporation of topical themes within a traditional art form.
	Surabhi	Telugu	Producer: K. Jaydev Director: K. N. T. Sastry
	Citation: For being an important document of a family-community of theatre performers and of cultural growth within the community and its performances.
Best Biographical Film	Nottam	Malayalam	Producer: Bina Narayan Director: M. R. Rajan	₹ 5,000/- Each
	Citation: For portraying the renowned Kathakali actor Kizhpadam Kumaran Nair, his valuable contribution to the art form, his devotion, dignity and his insights into nature, art and life.
	Mallika Sarabhai	English	Producer: Films Division Director: Aruna Raje Patil
	Citation: For a vibrant presentation of a contemporary woman’s life and art, through the perspective of Mallika Sarabhai.
Best Arts / Cultural Film	"Thang Ta"- The Martial Art of Manipur	English	Producer: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Director: Aribam Syam Sharma	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For its passionate cinematic expression of a traditional martial art of Manipur.
Best Environment / Conservation / Preservation Film	And The Bamboo Blooms	English	Producer: Films Division Director: Joshy Joseph	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For its creative approach to the importance of bamboo in the economic and social lives of the people of Manipur and Mizoram.
Best Film on Social Issues	Atanka Ka Andhakar (Darkness of Terror)	Hindi	Producer: Films Division Director: Rajiv Kumar	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For its documentation of the social issue of caste politics and the ensuing ruthless violence in Bihar.
Best Short Fiction Film	Blind Folded	Tamil	Producer: A. Sriram Director: S. Sri Ram	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For its creative controlled treatment of an emotional and socially relevant theme.
Best Cinematography	Kalamandalam Gopi	Malayalam	Cameraman: Mankada Ravi Varma Laboratory Processing: Prasad Film Laboratories	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For the imaginative and excellent visual quality rendered with consistency.
Best Audiography	The Vehicle with a Soul of a Man		Chinmoy Nath	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For imaginatively capturing the hard labour and tediousness of the Pitthu through the sound design achieved through an appropriate synthesis of sound and silence.
Best Editing	Of Confucius, S-Spots and Toyguns	English, Hindi, Marathi and Tamil	Ajit Kumar	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For the creative and crisp juxtaposition of imagery which complements the theme of the film.
Special Jury Award	Of Confucius, S-Spots and Toyguns	English, Hindi, Marathi and Tamil	Deep Prakash (Director)	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For its stylised, graphic and playful narrative on modern life, violence and the contemporary media.
Special Mention	Fire	English and Hindi	Vinod Subramanian (Director)	Certificate Only
	Citation: For its imaginative and multifaceted presentation of the theme.

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.

A committee headed by K. Satchidanandan was appointed to evaluate the writing on Indian cinema. Following were the jury members:^[1][2]

• Jury Members
  • K. Satchidanandan (Chairperson) • Deepa Gahlot • Siladitya Sen

Official Name: Swarna Kamal^[1][2]

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

Name of Award	Name of Book	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Book on Cinema	Malayala Cinemayum Sahithyavum	Malayalam	Author: Madhu Eravankara Publisher: D. C. Books	₹ 15,000/- Each
	Citation: For its in-depth analysis of the relationship between literature and film, its thorough understanding of the medium, rigorous research and high readability.
	Marathi Chitrapat Sangeetachi Vatchal	Marathi	Author: Aruna Anant Damle Publisher: Anil Damle
	Citation: For its meticulous research its understanding of musical tradition in Marathi film and accessible style.
Best Film Critic		Malayalam	I. Shanmugha Das	₹ 15,000/-
	Citation: For his understanding of the history of the art of cinema, his commitment to excellence in films, his grasp of film aesthetics and his originality of vision.

All the award winners are awarded with Certificate of Merit.^[1][2]

Name of Award	Name of Book	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Special Mention (Book on Cinema)	Economic Aspects of Film Industry in Kerala	English	Author: Uma J. Nair	Certificate Only
	Citation: For its original interdisciplinary research.

Following were the awards not given as no film was found to be suitable for the award:^[1][2]

• National Film Awards Archives
• Official Page for Directorate of Film Festivals, India