The National Film Award for Best Tamil Feature Film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus).
The National Film Awards, established in 1954, are the most prominent film awards in India that merit the best of the Indian cinema. The ceremony also presents awards for films in various regional languages.
Awards for films in seven regional language (Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu) started from 2nd National Film Awards which were presented on 21 December 1955. Three awards of "President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film", "Certificate of Merit for the Second Best Feature Film" and "Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film" were instituted. The later two certificate awards were discontinued from 15th National Film Awards (1967). Since the 70th National Film Awards, the name was changed to "Best Tamil Feature Film".
The 1954 film, directed by S. M. Sriramulu Naidu, Malaikkallan was honoured with the first president's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Tamil. Certificate of Merit for Second and Third Best Feature Films in Tamil were received by Andha Naal and Edhir Paradhathu respectively.
Winners
Award includes 'Rajat Kamal' (Silver Lotus Award) and cash prize. Following are the award winners over the years:
Awards legends
List of award films, showing the year (award ceremony), producer(s) and director(s) Year Film(s) Producer(s) Director(s) 1954 Malaikkallan Pakshiraja Studios S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Andha Naal AVM Productions S. Balachander Edhir Paradhathu Saravanabhava and Unity Pictures Ch. Narayanamoorthy 1955 Mangaiyar Thilakam Vaidya Films L. V. Prasad 1956 Kuladeivam S. K. Pictures Krishnan–Panju 1957 Mudhalali M. A. V. Pictures Muktha V. Srinivasan 1958 Thanga Padhumai Jupitor Pictures Pvt Ltd. A. S. A. Samy Annaiyin Aanai A. M. M. Ismayil Ch. Narayanamoorthy 1959 Bhaaga Pirivinai G. N. Velumani A. Bhimsingh Veerapandiya Kattabomman B. R. Panthulu B. R. Panthulu Kalyana Parisu Sarvashri S. Krishnamurthy, T. Govindarajan and C. V. Sridhar C. V. Sridhar 1960 Parthiban Kanavu Jubilee Films Pvt Ltd. D. Yoganand Paadhai Theriyudhu Paar Kumari Films Pvt Ltd. Nemai Ghosh Kalathur Kannamma AVM Productions A. Bhimsingh 1961 Kappalottiya Thamizhan Padmini Pictures B. R. Panthulu Pasamalar Rajamani Pictures A. Bhimsingh Kumudham Modern Theatres Adurthi Subba Rao 1962 Nenjil Oor Alayam Chithralaya C. V. Sridhar Annai AVM Productions Krishnan–Panju Sarada Al. Srinivasan K. S. Gopalakrishnan 1963 Naanum Oru Penn Murugan Brothers A. C. Tirulokchandar Karpagam K. S. Sabarinathan K. S. Gopalakrishnan Karnan B. R. Panthulu B. R. Panthulu 1964 Kai Koduttha Dheivam M. S. Velappan K. S. Gopalakrishnan Pazhani A. P. Chinnappa A. Bhimsingh Server Sundaram AVM Productions Krishnan–Panju 1965 Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum AVM Productions Krishnan–Panju Thiruvilayadal Shri Vijayalakshmi Pictures A. P. Nagarajan 1966 Ramu AVM Productions A. C. Tirulokchandar 1967 Aalayam Sunbeam Thirumalai and Mahalingam 1968 Thillana Mohanambal Shri Vijayalakshmi Pictures A. P. Nagarajan 1969 Iru Kodugal N. Selvaraj, B. Doraisamy, N. Krishan, and V. Govindarajan K. Balachander 1970Raman Ethanai Ramanadi P. Madhavan P. Madhavan 1971Veguli Penn Abdul Kabar S. S. Devadass 1972 Pattikada Pattanama P. Madhavan P. Madhavan 1973Dikkatra Parvathi M. Lakshmikantha Reddy and H. M. Sanjeeva Reddy Singeetham Srinivasa Rao 1974 No Award 1975 Apoorva Raagangal P. R. Govindarajan and J. Duraisamy K. Balachander 1976 No Award 1977 Agraharathil Kazhuthai John Abraham 1978 No Award 1979 Pasi G. Lalitha Durai 1980 Nenjathai Killathe K. Rajgopal Chetty Mahendran 1981 Thaneer Thaneer P. R. Govindarajan and J. Duraisamy K. Balachander 1982 Ezhavathu Manithan Palai N. Shanmugam K. Hariharan 1983 Oru Indhiya Kanavu T. P. Varadarajan and Vijayalakshmi Desikan Komal Swaminathan 1984 Achamillai Achamillai Rajam Balachander and V. Natarajan K. Balachander 1985 Muthal Mariyathai Bharathiraja Bharathiraja 1986 Mouna Ragam G. Venkateswaran Mani Ratnam 1987 Veedu Kaladas Balu Mahendra 1988 No Award 1989 Pudhea Paadhai A. Sundaram R. Parthiban 1990 Anjali Sujatha Productions (P) Ltd Mani Ratnam 1991 Vanna Vanna Pookkal Kalaipuli S. Dhanu Balu Mahendra 1992 Thevar Magan Kamal Haasan Bharathan 1993 Mahanadi S. A. Rajakannu Santhana Bharathi 1994 Nammavar B. Venkatarama Reddy K. S. Sethumadhavan 1995 Anthimanthaarai Tilaka Ganesh Bharathiraja 1996 Kadhal Kottai Sivashakthi Pandian Agaththian 1997 The Terrorist A. Sriram Santosh Sivan 1998 House Full R. Parthiban R. Parthiban 1999 Sethu A. Kandasamy Bala 2000 Bharati Messers Media Dreams (P) Ltd Gnana Rajasekaran 2001 Ooruku Nooruper L. Suresh B. Lenin 2002 Kannathil Muthamittal Mani Ratnam and G. Srinivasan Mani Ratnam 2003 Iyarkai V. R. Kumar S. P. Jananathan 2004 Navarasa Sunil Doshi Santosh Sivan 2005 Aadum Koothu Light and Shadow Movie Makers T. V. Chandran 2006 Veyil S. Shankar Vasanthabalan 2007 Periyar Liberty Creations Ltd. Gnana Rajasekaran 2008 Vaaranam Aayiram V. Ravichandran Gautham Vasudev Menon 2009 Pasanga M. Sasikumar Pandiraj 2010 Thenmerku Paruvakaatru Shibu Issac Seenu Ramasamy 2011 Vaagai Sooda Vaa S. Muruganandham and N. Puranna A. Sarkunam 2012 Vazhakku Enn 18/9 N. Subhash Chandra Bose Balaji Sakthivel 2013 Thanga Meengal JSK Film Corporation Ram 2014 Kuttram Kadithal Chris Pictures and JSK Film Corporation G. Bramma 2015 Visaranai Wunderbar Films Vetrimaaran 2016 Joker Dream Warrior Pictures Raju Murugan 2017 To Let Prema Chezhian Chezhiyan 2018 Baaram Priya Krishnaswamy and Ardra Swaroop Priya Krishnaswamy 2019AsuranKalaipuli S. ThanuVetrimaaran 2020 Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum Hamsa Productions Vasanth 2021 Kadaisi Vivasayi Tribal Arts Production M. Manikandan 2022 Ponniyin Selvan: I Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions Mani Ratnam 2023 Parking Passion Studios and Soldiers Factory Ramkumar Balakrishnan 2024 Raayan Sun Pictures Dhanush
References
External links Official Page for Directorate of Film Festivals, India National Film Awards Archives