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. Ceremony took place on 18 September 2000 and awards were given 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 AwardHrishikesh MukherjeedirectorSwarna Kamal, and a Shawl
Feature films
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:
Juries
A committee headed by Gautam Ghose was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. Following were the jury members:
Jury Members Gautam Ghose (Chairperson)Kalpana AgarwalSaeed Akhtar MirzaMohan SharmaG. V. G. RajuGautami K. Ravindranathan NairSreelekha MukherjiT. S. NagabharanaK. Janaki RamLeslie CarvalhoMoloya Goswami Arun KaulRatnottama SenguptaSanjeev BhargavaRam Gopal Bajaj
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 FilmVanaprasthamMalayalamProducer: MohanlalDirector: Shaji N. Karun 50,000/- EachCitation: 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 DirectorDollar DreamsEnglishProducer: Sekhar KammulaDirector: Sekhar Kammula 12,500/- EachCitation: For tacking in a very natural manner the burning problem of brain drain to the techno-logically developed world.LaadoHaryanviProducer: Kumud ChaudharyDirector: Ashwini ChaudharyCitation: For taking a bold stand over women's rights in the traditionally orthodox agricultural community of Haryana.Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentSarfaroshHindiProducer: John Matthew MatthanDirector: John Matthew Matthan 40,000/- EachCitation: 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 FilmGoalHindiProducer: Children's Film SocietyDirector: Gul Bahar Singh 30,000/- EachCitation: 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 DirectionUttaraBengaliBuddhadeb 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.
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 IntegrationShaheed Udham SinghPunjabiProducer: Iqbal DhillonDirector: Chitraarth 30,000/- EachCitation: For opening a new window to the Jallianwala Bagh episode, which had jolted the conscience of the Indian people.Best Film on Family WelfareHari-BhariHindiProducer: Government of IndiaDirector: Shyam Benegal 30,000/- EachCitation: 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 IssuesKaireeHindiProducer: Government of IndiaDirector: Amol Palekar 30,000/- EachCitation: 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 / PreservationJalamarmaramMalayalamProducer: Latha Kurien Rajeev and Radhika Suresh GopiDirector: T. K. Rajeev Kumar 30,000/- EachCitation: 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 ActorVanaprasthamMalayalamMohanlal 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 ActressBariwaliBengaliKirron 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 ActorHey RamTamilAtul 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 ActressBariwaliBengaliSudipta Chakraborty 10,000/- EachCitation: For playing the zest for life of a maidservant who comes from the slums and lives in a Haveli.Paromitar Ek DinBengaliSohini HaldarCitation: For breathing life into the schizophrenic daughter who knows she is a burden on her mother, but cannot help it.Best Child ArtistJalamarmaramMalayalamAswin 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 SingerVasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne NjaanumMalayalamM. G. Sreekumar 10,000/-Citation: For a heartwarming rendition of the song.Best Female Playback SingerParomitar Ek DinBengaliJayshree Dasgupta 10,000/-Citation: For soulful rendering by the singer expressing the inner world of a mentally challenged character in this film.Best CinematographyHum Dil De Chuke SanamHindiCameraman: Anil MehtaLaboratory Processing: Adlabs 10,000/- EachCitation: 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 ScreenplayKarunamMalayalamMadampu 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 AudiographyUttaraBengaliAnup 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 EditingVanaprasthamMalayalamA. 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 DirectionHum Dil De Chuke SanamHindiNitin 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 DesignHey RamTamilSarika 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 DirectionHum Dil De Chuke SanamHindiIsmail 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 LyricsSangamamTamilVairamuthu 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 EffectsHey RamTamilMantra 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 ChoreographyHum Dil De Chuke SanamHindiSameer TannaArsh TannaVaibhavi Merchant 10,000/-Citation: For combining musical elements in the dance number skilfully composed by the choreographer to enrich visual opulence.Special Jury AwardVasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne NjaanumMalayalamKalabhavan 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 MentionGharabaherMarathiMohan Joshi (Actor)Certificate OnlyCitation: For his wonderfully controlled performance of a corrupt politician.BaibhabAssameseManju Borah (Director)Citation: For her poetic expression in her debut film.DeveeriKannadaKavitha Lankesh (Director)Citation: For her exuberant debut as a director.
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 AssamesePokhiProducer: Dolphin CommunicationsDirector: Jahnu Barua 20,000/- EachCitation: 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 BengaliParomitar Ek DinProducer: Rajesh AgarwalDirector: Aparna Sen 20,000/- EachCitation: 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 HindiShoolProducer: Nitin Manmohan and Ram Gopal VarmaDirector: E. Nivas 20,000/- EachCitation: 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 KannadaKanooru HeggadithiProducer: H. G. Narayana, C. M. Narayana and I. P. MallegowdaDirector: Girish Karnad 20,000/- EachCitation: For depicting increasing gaps between generation and genders very sensitively portrayed through the three main female characters.Best Feature Film in MalayalamPunaradhivasamProducer: N. P. PrakashDirector: V. K. Prakash 20,000/- EachCitation: 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 MarathiGharabaherProducer: Ratan Madan and Narendra ShindeDirector: Sanjay Surkar 20,000/- EachCitation: 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 OdiaBiswaprakashProducer: NFDCDirector: Susant Misra 20,000/- EachCitation: 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 TamilSethuProducer: A. KandasamyDirector: Bala 20,000/- EachCitation: 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 TeluguKalisundam RaaProducer: Daggubati Suresh BabuDirector: Uday Shankar 20,000/- EachCitation: 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.
Non-Feature Films