National Film Awards 2023: Balakrishna’s ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’ and ‘Hanu-Man’ Shine

The National Film Awards for 2023 have been announced, honoring excellence across Indian cinema.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan bagged his first-ever National Award for Best Actor for his blockbuster Jawan. It was a tie, with Vikrant Massey also receiving the Best Actor award for his acclaimed performance in 12th Fail.

In Telugu cinema, Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Bhagavanth Kesari, directed by Anil Ravipudi, won Best Regional Film (Telugu). The film, which emphasized the importance of the girl child and addressed the sensitive topic of ‘good touch and bad touch’, earned high praise from the jury headed by acclaimed filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, who noted that it was a unanimous decision. The film was a modest commercial success and is currently being remade in Tamil as Jana Nayagan starring Vijay.

The surprise pan-India blockbuster Hanu-Man, starring Teja Sajja, scored two prestigious awards — Best Action Direction (for Naidu & Prudhvi) and Best AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comics). Directed by Prasanth Varma and produced by K. Niranjan Reddy under PrimeShow Entertainment, the film was celebrated for its fusion of Indian mythology and superhero cinema, making it a landmark in Telugu filmmaking.

Other winners from Telugu cinema included Kasarla Shyam, who won Best Lyrics for his evocative song “Ooru Palleturu” from Balagam, and Sai Rajesh Neelam, who bagged the Best Screenplay award for Baby. PVN Rohit received the Best Playback Singer (Male) award for his song in Baby.

In a proud moment for director Sukumar’s family, his daughter Sukriti Veni Bandreddi won the Best Child Artist award for her performance in the children’s film Gandhi Thatha Chettu.

With these wins, 2023 stands as a milestone year for Indian cinema, celebrating a blend of star power, meaningful storytelling, and groundbreaking technical achievements.

National Film Awards 2023 – Complete List of Winners 

Telugu Winners

Best Male Playback Singer: PVN Rohith (Baby)
Best Screenplay: Sai Rajesh (Baby)
Best Lyrics: Kasarlya Shyam (Balagam)
Best Telugu Film: Bhagavanth Kesari
Best Action Direction: Hanu-Man
Best VFX: Hanu-Man

Other Languages

Best Tamil Film: Parking
Best Actress: Rani Mukerji
Best Actor: Shah Rukh Khan(Jawan) Vikranth Massey(12th Fail)
Best Punjabi Film: Godday Godday Chaa
Best Odia Film: Pushkara
Best Marathi Film: Shyamchi Aai
Best Malayalam Film: Ullozhokku
Best Kannada Film: Kandeelu: The ray of hope
Best Hindi Film: Kathal: A Jackfruit of mystery
Best Gujarati Film: Vash
Best Bengali Film: Deep Fridge
Best Assamese film: Rangatapu 1982
Best Choreography: Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani
Best Music Direction: Vaathi (Tamil)- songs
Best Make-up, Costume designer: Sam Bahadur
Best Production Designer: 2018- Everyone is a hero (Malayala ..
Best Editing: Pookalam (Malayalam)
Best Sound Design: Animal
Best Cinematography: The Kerala Story (Hindi)
Best Female Playback Singer: Jawan
Best Actress Supporting Role: Ullozhokku (Urvashi), Vash
Best Actor Supporting Role: Pookalam (Vijayaraghavan), Parki