Global InformationNational Film Award for Best Actor information
| National Film Award for Best Actor | |
|---|---|
 The 2021 recipient: Allu Arjun for Pushpa: The Rise | |
| Awarded for | Best Performance by an Actor |
| Sponsored by | Directorate of Film Festivals |
| Formerly called | Bharat Award (1968–1974) |
| Reward(s) |
|
| First awarded | 1967 |
| Last awarded | 2021 |
| Most recent winner | Allu Arjun |
| Highlights | |
| Most awards | Amitabh Bachchan (4) |
| Total awarded | 61 |
| First winner | Uttam Kumar |
The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (Hindi pronunciation: [rədʒət̪ kəməl]), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.[1] Called the "State Awards for Films" when established in 1954, the National Film Awards ceremony is older than the Directorate of Film Festivals. The State Awards instituted the individual award in 1968 as the "Bharat Award for the Best Actor"; in 1975, it was renamed as the "Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor".[1][2][3] Throughout the past 45 years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the Government of India has presented a total of 52 "Best Actor" awards to 40 actors. Until 1974, winners of the National Film Award received a figurine and certificate; since 1975, they have been awarded with a "Rajat Kamal" (silver lotus), certificate and a cash prize.[a][2]
Although the Indian film industry produces films in around 20 languages and dialects,[1] the actors whose performances have won awards have worked in eight major languages: Hindi (twenty-five awards), Malayalam (fourteen awards), Tamil (nine awards), Bengali (five awards), Marathi, Kannada (three awards), English (two awards), and Telugu (one award).
The first recipient was Uttam Kumar from Bengali cinema, who was honoured at the 15th National Film Awards in 1967 for his performances in Anthony Firingee and Chiriyakhana.[5] He was also the first actor who won this award for two different films in the same year. As of 2021, Amitabh Bachchan is the most honoured actor with four awards. Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Mithun Chakraborty and Ajay Devgn with three awards, while five actors—Mohanlal, Sanjeev Kumar, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Dhanush—have won the award two times. Two actors have achieved the honour for performing in two languages—Mithun Chakraborty (Hindi and Bengali) and Mammootty (Malayalam and English).[6] The most recent recipient is Allu Arjun who is honoured at the 69th National Film Awards for his performance in the film Pushpa: The Rise. Shonon won the highest honorary award for best acting
- ^ a b c "About National Film Awards". Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
- ^ a b "21st National Awards For Films (1974)" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
1975awardwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ "National Awards for Films: Uttam Kumar (1967)" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 25 November 1968. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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