AR Rahman, Arijit Singh and Pritam bag music honours at 70th National Film Awards

70th National Film Awards

The winners of the 70th National Film Awards were announced by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Films released in 2022 were eligible for the awards. Due to the pandemic, the awards are running a year behind schedule. The jury for the National Film Awards 2024 includes Rahul Rawail, Chairperson of the Feature Film Jury; Nila Madhab Panda, Chairperson of the Non-Feature Film Jury; and Mr. Gangadhar Mudalair, Chairperson of the Best Writing on Cinema Jury. It has just been announced that A.R. Rahman, Pritam, and Arijit Singh - three stalwarts of Indian music - have won prestigious awards.

A.R. Rahman won the National Film Award for Best Music Director (Background Score) for his work in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan - Part 1, which was also named the Best Tamil Film. An adventure set in the 10th century, Ponniyin Selvan explores the factional power struggles within the Chola empire, with enemies of the state acting as catalysts. The story is set in the tumultuous period before Ponniyin Selvan (son of River Kaveri), later known as Rajaraja Chola, became one of the greatest emperors in Indian history, ushering in a golden age.

Pritam received the award for Best Music Director (Songs) for Brahmastra - Part 1. Arijit Singh also won at the 70th National Film Awards in the category of Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Kesariya" from Brahmastra. Brahmastra Part One: Shiva is the first installment of the planned trilogy in the Astraverse by Ayan Mukerji. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy, and Nagarjuna Akkineni. The storyline follows Shiva, a DJ who discovers his strange connection with the element of fire. He holds the power to awaken the Brahmastra, a supernatural weapon said to have the ability to destroy the universe, creation, and all beings.

In the 70th National Film Awards, South Indian cinema stood out by bagging multiple awards. Nithya Menen won the Best Actress award for the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam, while Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award for the Kannada film Kantara, which he also directed. Manasi Parekh won the Best Actress award for the Gujarati film Kutch Express.

In 2023, the Best Actor award was won by Allu Arjun for Pushpa: The Rise, and the Best Actress award was won by Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kriti Sanon for Mimi. The Best Supporting Actor award was won by Pankaj Tripathi for Mimi, and the Best Supporting Actress award was won by Pallavi Joshi for The Kashmir Files.