The 45th 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 1997. The awards were announced on 8 May 1998 and presented on 10 July 1998 by then President of India, K. R. Narayanan.
Awards
Awards were divided into feature films, non-feature films and books written on Indian cinema.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Name of AwardImageAwardee(s)Awarded AsAwardsDadasaheb Phalke AwardKavi PradeepLyricistSwarna Kamal, and a Shawl
Feature films
Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For National Film Awards, a Kannada film, Thaayi Saheba won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film also winning the maximum number of awards (4). Following were the awards given in each category:
Juries
A committee headed by B. Saroja Devi was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. Following were the jury members:
Jury Members B. Saroja Devi (Chairperson)P. MadhavanMaheep SinghC. V. L. SastryAruna PurohitUma da CunhaDevender KhandelwalSandip RaySantwana BordoloiArundathi NagPushpa BharatiK. R. MohananV. Madhusudhana Rao
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 prizeBest Feature FilmThaayi SahebaKannadaProducer: Jaimaladirector: Girish Kasaravalli 50,000/- EachCitation: For its challenging portrayal of one woman who carries the burden of traditional constraints and restrictions of society and learns to overcome them with courage, dignity, sacrifice. In the process, she speaks for the emancipation of women.Best Debut Film of a DirectorBhoothakkannadiMalayalamProducer: Nair Krishnakumar UnniDirector: A. K. Lohithadas 25,000/- EachCitation: For the director's competent handling of the delicate balance of the human psyche.Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentDil To Pagal HaiHindiProducer: Yash ChopraDirector: Yash Chopra 40,000/- EachCitation: For its clean, fun-loving portrayal of young people in the film that moves effortlessly and avoids any signs of violence or vulgarity.Best Children's FilmRamayanamTeluguProducer: M. S. ReddyDirector: Gunasekhar 30,000/- EachCitation: For presenting the classical Indian epic in an entertaining narrative style with child actors playing all the legendary characters with ease and verve. The film provides an opportunity for children to keep in touch with the country's cultural heritage.Best DirectionKaliyattamMalayalamJayaraj 50,000/-Citation: For successfully transplanting the classic play by keeping the traditional "Theyyam" art form as a backdrop and weaving an extremely tight story, never losing control of the medium.
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 prizeBest Feature Film on National IntegrationBorderHindiProducer: J. P. DuttaDirector: J. P. Dutta 30,000/- EachCitation: For making an honest statement on patriotism, portraying the gallantry and sacrifies of the Armed forces, thereby instilling a sense of National pride.Best Film on Family WelfareSamaantharangalMalayalamProducer: Balachandra MenonDirector: Balachandra Menon 30,000/- EachCitation: For an original script evolved from personal experience in a film that nurtures family and community life. The protagonist makes sacrifices in order to project the emotional and moral needs of his family members and through them projects a larger picture of the National Interests that bind us all.Best Film on Other Social IssuesDhannaHindiProducer: Films DivisionDirector: Deepak Roy 30,000/- EachCitation: The film stands for the rights of a disabled person to be accorded the privileges of a normal human being within a family and in society. It states in a simple yet convincing manner that the disabled should be encouraged to develop their inner talents.Best Film on Environment / Conservation / PreservationBhoomi GeethaKannadaProducer: R. Mahadev GowdaDirector: Kesari Harvoo 30,000/- EachCitation: For its sincere statement the need for a balanced approach towards environment and tribal cultures that get displaced in the course of development.Best ActorKaliyattamMalayalamSuresh Gopi 10,000/- EachCitation: For his control and presence in a role that demands a wide range of emotions.SamaantharangalMalayalamBalachandra MenonCitation: For his realistic and sensitive portrayal of a middle-class man who stands up for this high principles.Best ActressDahanBengaliIndrani Haldar Rituparna Sengupta 10,000/- EachCitation: For their restrained, sensitive portrayal of two women caught in a web in which both face humiliation. The two actresses are inspiring in the way they emerge richer from their experience.Best Supporting ActorIruvarTamilPrakash Raj 10,000/-Citation: For his sensitive and consistent portrayal of a powerful character that spans a colourful political career.Best Supporting ActressDil To Pagal HaiHindiKarisma Kapoor 10,000/-Citation: For her spirited and moving performance as a young woman who values friendship and love.Best Child ArtistDhannaHindiDhanraj 10,000/-Citation: For actor's natural portrayal of a disabled person. His curiosity and interests make him turn from a social outcaste into a self-learning member of community.Best Male Playback SingerBorderHindiHariharan 10,000/-Citation: For his melodious rendering of the heartwarming song.Best Female Playback SingerVirasatHindiK. S. Chithra 10,000/-Citation: For her effortless and playful rendering of the song.Best CinematographyIruvarTamilCameraman: Santosh SivanLaboratory Processing: Prasad Film Laboratories 10,000/- EachCitation: For maintaining a consistent style and pattern that does justice to the period and scale that the narrative deals with.Best ScreenplayDahanBengaliRituparno Ghosh 10,000/-Citation: For tactfully crafting a sensitive theme that dwells upon an incident which raises issues of social responsibility and personal awareness.Best AudiographyEnnu Swantham JanakikuttyMalayalamSampath 10,000/-Citation: For using silence creatively to enhance a subject that deals with the isolation of a mind trapped in fantasy.Best EditingThe TerroristTamilA. Sreekar Prasad 10,000/-Citation: For his sleek, officient and sharp editing which gives the film an absorbing pace, making it gripping and thought provoking.Best Art DirectionThaayi SahebaKannadaRamesh Desai 10,000/-Citation: For his meticulous attention to minute details creating the exact atmosphere and aura of the film's period lifestyle and its changing perspective decade to decade.Best Costume DesignThaayi SahebaKannadaVaishali Kasaravalli 10,000/-Citation: For her care and perception in designing the period costuming required for a film that covers a demanding range encompassing the upper class to the common man.Best Music DirectionAnnamayyaTeluguM. M. Keeravani 10,000/-Citation: For the film's rich, classical music scores and its devotional fervor.Best LyricsBorderHindiJaved Akhtar 10,000/-Citation: For its evocative wording that is imbued with compassion for our nation and for human beings at large.Best ChoreographyDil To Pagal HaiHindiShiamak Davar 10,000/-Citation: For the striking and aesthetic use of colour and design in the film with both elements enriching its rhythm and dance movement.Special Jury AwardThaayi SahebaKannadaJaimala (Actor) 25,000/-Citation: For her restrained and compellig portrayal of a woman who silently goes through the journey of life with grace and poise.Special MentionAnnamayyaTeluguNagarjuna (Actor)Certificate OnlyCitation: For his fine acting depicting various complex moods in wide ranging situations.Ennu Swantham JanakikuttyMalayalamJomol (Actress)Citation: For her natural portrayal of an innocent adolescent who becomes psychologically disturbed due to loneliness and rejection, finally her mental and emotional balance.
Regional Awards
The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India.
Name of AwardName of FilmAwardee(s)Cash prizeBest Feature Film in BengaliDahanProducer: Bijay Agarwal and Kalpana AgarwalDirector: Rituparno Ghosh 20,000/- EachCitation: For the way in which film portrays two young women who undergo the agony of discovering the harsh realities of their situation and society.Best Feature Film in HindiHazaar Chaurasi Ki MaaProducer: Govind NihalaniDirector: Govind Nihalani 20,000/- EachCitation: For a moving depiction of the story of a mother who beings to realise her son's values and beliefs only after his tragic death and in the process emerges a stronger being.Best Feature Film in KannadaMungarina MinchuProducer: Jai Jagadish – R. Dushyanth SinghDirector: Rajendra Singh Babu 20,000/- EachCitation: For its interesting and amusing portrayal of the unexpected series of events that change the life of all the character in this family.Best Feature Film in MalayalamMangammaProducer: NFDCDirector: T. V. Chandran 20,000/- EachCitation: The film tells the story of a remarkable courageous middle class woman who takes challenge upon challenge in her stride. Each confrontation makes a comment on social structures.Best Feature Film in OriyaShesha DrushtiProducer: NFDCDirector: Apurba Kishore Bir 20,000/- EachCitation: For effectively portraying two generations trapped in a web – one that can't break away from its past – the other that tries to deal with a present with no future.Best Feature Film in PunjabiMain Maa Punjab DeeProducer: Devender WaliaDirector: Balwant Dullat 20,000/- EachCitation: For the film's exploration of a suffering mother who undergoes the trauma created by her own sons and rediscovers her creative talent and rehabilitates herself.Best Feature Film in TamilThe TerroristProducer: A. SriramDirector: Santosh Sivan 20,000/- EachCitation: For the film's stylised, evocative presentation of a theme that introspectively and in a silent, subtle manner says a loud "NO" to violence.Best Feature Film in TeluguSindhooramProducer: Krishna VamsiDirector: Krishna Vamsi 20,000/- EachCitation: For the film's sincere effort at analysing, the problem of corruption which leads to disillusionment among the young and perpetuates violence within a society.
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 K. K. Kapil was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. Following were the jury members:
Jury Members K. K. Kapil (Chairperson)Dinkar ChowdharyShashi RanjanParvathi MenonNamita Gokhale
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 prizeBest Non-Feature FilmJataner JamiBengaliProducer: Raja Mitra and AssociatesDirector: Raja Mitra 25,000/- EachCitation: For its moving portrayal of a landless peasant's empowerment and his ultimate betrayal.
Silver Lotus Award
Official Name: Rajat Kamal
All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.