# 28th National Film Awards

The 28th 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 1980. Ceremony took place in April 1981.

## Juries

Two different committees were formed for feature films and short films, headed by V. Shantaram and B. D. Garga respectively.
* Jury Members: Feature Films
** V. Shantaram (Chairperson) • Basanta Choudhury • B. V. Dharap • Sunil Gangopadhyay • R. N. K. Prasad • Ravindranathan Nair • Arthur J. Pais • Purnendu Sekhar Pattrea • Jayoo Patwardhan • T. S. Ranga • Kantilal Rathod • Mriganka Sekhar Ray • Shobhna Samarth • N. Seshadri • K. B. Tilak • G. Venkateshwara Rao
* Jury Members: Short Films
** B. D. Garga (Chairperson) • Utpal K. Banerjee • P. D. P. Rao

## Awards

Awards were divided into feature films and non-feature films.

### Lifetime Achievement Award

| Name of Award | Image | Awardee(s) | Awarded As | Awards |
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award | | P. Jairaj | Actor and Director | Swarna Kamal, ₹40,000 and a Shawl |

### Feature films

Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 28th National Film Awards, a Bengali film, Akaler Shandhaney won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film also winning the maximum number of awards (four), along with a Malayalam film, Oppol. Following were the awards given in each category:

#### All India Award

Following were the awards given:
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Language | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
| Best Feature Film | Akaler Shandhaney | Bengali | Producer: Dhiresh Kumar Chakraborty | Swarna Kamal and ₹50,000/- |
| Best Feature Film | Akaler Shandhaney | Bengali | Director: Mrinal Sen | Swarna Kamal and ₹25,000/- |
| Citation: For brilliantly recreating the tragedy of the 1943 Bengal famine and focussing on the disturbing continuity of the conditions which created it, for the cinematic excellence of the film which explores human experience at the different levels and for the consummate artistry with which the complexity of the social-economic situation is fused into a poignant statement. ||||
| Second Best Feature Film | Oppol | Malayalam | Producer: Rosamma George | Rajat Kamal and ₹30,000/- |
| Second Best Feature Film | Oppol | Malayalam | Director: K. S. Sethumadhavan | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Citation: For boldly presenting a woman's love for her illegitimate child, for sensitive handling of complex situations, and for offering social acceptability to the mother and child, thereby giving a new perspective to the values prevalent body. ||||
| Best Feature Film on National Integration | Bhavni Bhavai | Gujarati | Producer: Sanchar Film Cooperative Society Ltd. | Rajat Kamal and ₹30,000/- |
| Best Feature Film on National Integration | Bhavni Bhavai | Gujarati | Director: Ketan Mehta | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Citation: For tracing the history of social evil of untouchability through popular folk drama form, for synthesising diverse performing arts into socially relevant communication, for depicting the untouchable's fight for their rights. ||||
| Best Debut Film of a Director | Maina Tadanta | Bengali | Utpalendu Chakrabarty | Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/- |
| Citation: For depicting with realistic vigor the exploitation perpetrated on the tribal and the landless, for portraying the spirited fight of the downtrodden and for showing great maturity in the conception and presentation of the theme in this maiden venture. ||||
| Best Direction | Akaler Shandhaney | Bengali | Mrinal Sen | Rajat Kamal and ₹20,000/- |
| Citation: For exploring the inevitable conflict between urban and rural cultures, for displaying in almost every sequence masterly handling and complete command over the medium. ||||
| Best Screenplay | Akaler Shandhaney | Bengali | Mrinal Sen | Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/- |
| Citation: For effectively combining the terse and pithy dialogue with creation of well-defined, lively characters to convey a poignant story which leaves a lasting impression. ||||
| Best Actor | Oppol | Malayalam | Balan K. Nair | Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/- |
| Citation: For extremely virile and sensitive portrayal of a man who is constantly puzzled by the behaviour of his wife, for conveying the flashes of anger and frustration he suffers and depicting ultimate acceptance of his wife's past with mellowed tenderness which reveals the virtuosity of a great artist. ||||
| Best Actress | Chakra | Hindi | Smita Patil | Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/- |
| Citation: For a steering role as a middle-aged woman from the slums of Bombay, for depicting her stoic acceptance of an unkind fate and at the same time continuing to dream of a better future, which never arrives, with profound expressiveness and brilliant dialogue delivery. ||||
| Best Child Artist | Oppol | Malayalam | Aravind | Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- |
| Citation: For portraying the complex role of a lonely child who is a victim of social ostracisation for no fault of his own, for bringing out the terrible emotional trauma with little dialogue and a superb economy of gesture. ||||
| Best Cinematography (Color) | Nenjathai Killathe | Tamil | Ashok Kumar | Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/- |
| Citation: For brilliantly creating salient features of each character with the help of superb camera control and effective use of lighting and for significantly contributing to the mood of the film. ||||
| Best Cinematography (Black and White) | Yagam | Malayalam | Sivan | Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- |
| Citation: For depicting the grim and tense mood of the film, admirably depicting mellowed moments in the film with charm. ||||
| Best Audiography | Nenjathai Killathe | Tamil | S. P. Ramanathan | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For a highly sensitive use of sound to capture perfectly the rhythm and mood of each sequence. ||||
| Best Editing | Akaler Shandhaney | Bengali | Gangadhar Naskar | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For a sensitive use of images, for gradually building up the tempo of the film in a well-knit pattern; for never permitting a slackening of pace and for underlining the whole film with a subdued sense of drama. ||||
| Best Art Direction | Bhavni Bhavai | Gujarati | Meera Lakhia | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For perfectly creating the glamour of the royal palace juxtaposed with the grim austerity of hutments, for successfully providing a period touch down to the smallest details, for providing a stamp of authenticity to the film. ||||
| Best Music Direction | Hirak Rajar Deshe | Bengali | Satyajit Ray | Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/- |
| Citation: For brilliant experimentation with different forms and modes of Indian music and for creating a mood of fantasy in a pleasing and harmonious style. ||||
| Best Male Playback Singer | Hirak Rajar Deshe | Bengali | Anup Ghoshal | Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/- |
| Citation: For a wonderful range of voice and the sense of rhythm imparted to the songs rendered, by him. ||||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Oppol ("Ettumanoor Ambalathil Ezhunnallathu") | Malayalam | S. Janaki | Rajat Kamal and ₹10,000/- |
| Citation: For the serenity and pathos with which each rendering is imbued and for adding a new dimension to the theme of the film. ||||

#### Regional Award

The awards were given to the best films made in the regional languages of India. For feature films in English, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Meitei, Marathi and Oriya language, award for Best Feature Film was not given.
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Awardee(s) | Awards |
| Best Feature Film in Assamese | Anirban | Producer: Preeti Saikia | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Best Feature Film in Assamese | Anirban | Director: Bhabendra Nath Saikia | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For depicting man's attachment to life through the story of an unfortunate married couple, through severe agony and funeral pyres, for providing a touch of realism by a delicate representation of a piece of lower middle class existence. |||
| Best Feature Film in Bengali | Hirak Rajar Deshe | Producer: Information and Cultural Affairs Department, Government of West Bengal | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Best Feature Film in Bengali | Hirak Rajar Deshe | Director: Satyajit Ray | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For an allegorical representation of the victory of good over evil, embellished by superb acting and haunting music. |||
| Best Feature Film in Hindi | Aakrosh | Producer: Devi Dutt | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Best Feature Film in Hindi | Aakrosh | Director: Govind Nihalani | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For its severe indictment of an establishment and a society that permits injustice, for presenting a bold theme in a cinematic style which makes it both socially and aesthetically significant. |||
| Best Feature Film in Malayalam | Yagam | Producer: B. Chandramani Bai | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Best Feature Film in Malayalam | Yagam | Director: Sivan | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For presenting dilemma of romantic revolutionary who understands the futility of his misadventure at the cost of some rare moments of happiness, for successfully building up the sense of impending doom underlining the human relationships throughout the film. |||
| Best Feature Film in Punjabi | Chann Pardesi | Producer: Swarn Sedha, Baldev Gill And J. S. Cheema | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Best Feature Film in Punjabi | Chann Pardesi | Director: Chitrartha Singh | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For presenting a story of human passion in cinematic terms, representing a departure from the usual trends prevalent in Punjabi cinema. |||
| Best Feature Film in Tamil | Nenjathai Killathe | Producer: K. Rajgopal Chetty | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Best Feature Film in Tamil | Nenjathai Killathe | Director: Mahendran | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For artistically portraying the gradual development of a girl from adolescence to womanhood, for depicting in a gentle moving narrative her emotional suffering and how she overcomes them. |||
| Best Feature Film in Telugu | Harischandrudu | Producer: U. D. Murali Krishna | Rajat Kamal and ₹15,000/- |
| Best Feature Film in Telugu | Harischandrudu | Director: U. Visweswar Rao | Rajat Kamal and ₹7,500/- |
| Citation: For an exposure of the manoeuvrings and misdeeds of politicians and for contributing significantly to the development of political cinema in India. |||

### Non-Feature films

Following were the awards given:
| Name of Award | Name of Film | Language | Awardee(s) | Cash Prize |
| Best Information Film | Daldal | Hindi | Producer: Krystyna Khote Director: Pradeep Dixit | Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- Each |
| Citation: For powerful indictment of a social malaise-bonded labour-very sensitively handled and well researched. ||||
| Best Educational / Instructional Film | Mariculture | English | Producer: Films Division Director: C. J. Paulose | Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- Each |
| Citation: For diligent research and meticulous execution. ||||
| Best Promotional Film | Oil Offshore | English | Producer: Prem Prakash Director: Satya Prakash | Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- Each |
| Citation: For visual excitement and controlled handling of a difficult subject. ||||
| Best Experimental Film | Arrival | English | Producer: Films Division Director: Mani Kaul | Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- Each |
| Citation: For searing imagery and outstanding soundtrack. ||||
| Best Newsreel Cameraman | Tragedy of Gendi (Indian News Review No. 1657) | English | Mahesh Pratap Sinha and Rajgopal Rao | Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- |
| Citation: For displaying a keen news sense. ||||
| Best News Review | News Magazine No. 3 (Day of the Dark Sun) | English | Films Division | Rajat Kamal and ₹5,000/- |
| Citation: For capturing the high drama of an historic event - the total solar eclipse. ||||
| Special Mention | The Chola Heritage | English | Producer and Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Certificate only |
| Certificate only |||
| Special Mention | Pampa | English | Producer: Films Division Director: P. C. Sharma | Certificate only |
| Certificate only |||

### Awards not given

Following were the awards not given as no film was found to be suitable for the award:
* Best Children's Film
* Best Film on Family Welfare
* Best Lyrics
* Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
* Best Film on Social Documentation
* Best Animation Film
* Best Feature Film in English
* Best Feature Film in Kannada
* Best Feature Film in Manipuri
* Best Feature Film in Marathi
* Best Feature Film in Oriya