38th National Film Awards

The 38th 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 1990.^[1] Ceremony took place in 1991.

38th National Film Awards
Awarded for	Best of Indian cinema in 1990
Awarded by	Directorate of Film Festivals
Presented by	R. Venkataraman (President of India)
Announced on	7 April 1991 (1991-04-07)
Site	Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi
Official website	dff.nic.in
Highlights
Best Feature Film	Marupakkam
Best Non-Feature Film	Graven Image
Best Book	Hindi Cinema Ka Itihaas
Best Film Critic	Shoma A. Chatterjee
Dadasaheb Phalke Award	Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Most awards	Lekin... (5)
← 37th National Film Awards 39th →

With 38th National Film Awards, couple of new awards were instituted for Non-Feature films section. These awards includes Best Investigative Film, Best Audiography, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.

Awards

Awards were divided into feature films, non-feature films and books written on Indian cinema.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Name of Award	Image	Awardee(s)	Awarded As	Awards
Dadasaheb Phalke Award		Akkineni Nageswara Rao	Actor	Swarna Kamal, ₹ 100,000 and a Shawl

Feature films

Feature films were awarded at All India as well as regional level. For 38th National Film Awards, a Tamil film, Marupakkam won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, whereas a Hindi film, Lekin... won the maximum number of awards (5). Following were the awards given in each category:^[1]

Juries

A committee headed by veteran actor Ashok Kumar was appointed to evaluate the feature films awards. Following were the jury members:^[1]

• Jury Members
  • Ashok Kumar (Chairperson) • Usha Khanna • P. V. Gangadharan • Honey Irani • Janardhan Roy • Raj Bisaria • T. Subbarami Reddy • Sripriya • Komal Swaminathan • J. P. Das • Rekha Sahay • G. V. Iyer • T. S. Narasimhan • Bhupen Hazarika • Kalpana Lajmi • Premlata Bajpai • Shaji N. Karun

All India Award

Following were the awards given:^[1]

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal^[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of Award	Name of Film	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Feature Film	Marupakkam	Tamil	Producer: NFDC and Doordarshan	₹ 50,000/-
			director: K. S. Sethumadhavan	₹ 25,000/-
	Citation: For striking a balance between the existing traditional values and the modern values that are infused subsequently, and for treating the subject with the highest standards or aesthetic excellence.
Best Debut Film of a Director	Perumthachan	Malayalam	Producer: G. Jayakumar Director: Ajayan	₹ 25,000/- Each
	Citation: For depicting a historical backdrop with authenticity, shattering all traditional beliefs with superlative artistic texture.
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment	Ghayal	Hindi	Producer: Dharmendra	₹ 40,000/-
			Director: Rajkumar Santoshi	₹ 20,000/-
	Citation: For being thematically highly credible, emotionally very well-woven, logically executed, and technically superb film.
Best Direction	Ek Doctor Ki Maut	Hindi	Tapan Sinha	₹ 50,000/-
	Citation: For having presented a contemporary problem with courage, subtlety and finesse.

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal^[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of Award	Name of Film	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Second Best Feature Film	Ek Doctor Ki Maut	Hindi	Producer: NFDC	₹30,000/-
			Director: Tapan Sinha	₹15,000/-
	Citation: For making a relevant social comment, presented in a tremendously communicative yet emotional manner.
Best Film on Other Social Issues	Oru Veedu Iru Vasal	Tamil	Producer: Kavithalayaa Productions	₹ 30,000/-
			Director: K. Balachander	₹ 15,000/-
	Citation: For focussing on women's problem and very sensitively showing the path by which women can be emancipated.
Best Actor	Agneepath	Hindi	Amitabh Bachchan	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For a towering performance, rising above the script with variation and nuances at all levels.
Best Actress	Karthavyam	Telugu	Vijayashanti	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For depicting both aggression and femininity with balance and restraint.
Best Supporting Actor	His Highness Abdullah	Malayalam	Nedumudi Venu	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For maintaining the character with consistency and sensitivity.
Best Supporting Actress	Amaram	Malayalam	K. P. A. C. Lalitha	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For portraying an ethnic character with authenticity.
Best Child Artist	Anjali	Tamil	• Baby Shruti  • Master Tarun  • Baby Shamili	₹ 5,000/-
	Citation: For giving excellent performances in which the children come across in all naturalness and yet give a glimpse of the adult within.
Best Male Playback Singer	His Highness Abdullah ("Naadaroopini Sankari Pahimam")	Malayalam	M. G. Sreekumar	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For an excellent rendering of a classical-based tune encompassing all ranges accurately.
Best Female Playback Singer	Lekin...	Hindi	Lata Mangeshkar	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For singing with outstanding expressions with the rarest and purest of styles.
Best Cinematography	Perumthachan	Malayalam	Cameraman: Santosh Sivan Laboratory Processing: M/s Vijay Colour Laboratories	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For heightening the mood of the film with the highest visual standards.
Best Screenplay	Marupakkam	Tamil	K. S. Sethumadhavan	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For depicting a simplistic story, capturing the various levels of philosophy, psychology, tradition and relationships perfectly.
Best Audiography	Anjali	Tamil	N. Pandurangan	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For aesthetically weaving the soundtrack in the most creative manner to enhance the visuals of the film.
Best Editing	Iyer the Great	Malayalam	M. S. Mani	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For slick well-placed editing which elevates the craft of the film.
Best Art Direction	Lekin...	Hindi	Nitish Roy	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For maintaining the era, etching the characters against the canvas, with perfect colour, design and execution.
Best Costume Design	Lekin...	Hindi	Bhanu Athaiya	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For the texture and tone of the costumes, which heighten the visual quality of the film, breaking away from the traditional image of bright Rajasthani colours by using subdued pastel shades.
Best Music Direction	Lekin...	Hindi	Hridaynath Mangeshkar	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For using traditional tunes and instruments creatively, with litting melody and haunting perfection.
Best Lyrics	Lekin...	Hindi	Gulzar	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For evoking beautiful imagery, created through lyrical poetry.
Special Jury Award	Ek Doctor Ki Maut	Hindi	Pankaj Kapoor (Actor)	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For having effectively projected the in-built trauma of an aspiring, thinking, creative mind, in the context of a demoralising, fossilised system of establishment that does not provide scope for fruitation of a path-finding spirit.
	Ghayal	Hindi	Sunny Deol (Actor)
	Citation: For an effective portrayal of a youth, victimised by the inherent evil in aspects of the present police system.
	Marupakkam	Tamil	Jayabharathi (Actor)
	Citation: For a touching portrayal of the agony of a woman who has been emotionally neglected, unwittingly.
Special Mention	Ishanou	Meitei	Anoubam Kiranmala (Actor)	Certificate Only
	Citation: For a debut performance depicting various levels of conflict effectively.

Regional Awards

The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India.^[1]

Name of Award	Name of Film	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Feature Film in Assamese	Jooj	Producer: Bipul Baruah	₹ 20,000/-
		Director: Hemen Das	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For attempting to portray, with conviction, the earthy realism in the field of social differences.
Best Feature Film in Bengali	Atmaja	Producer: Raj Kumar Jain	₹ 20,000/-
		Director: Nabyendu Chatterjee	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For its masterly depiction of a mother's quest, torn between the hollowness of wealth and the transcendence of human values.
Best Feature Film in Hindi	Drishti	Producer: Govind Nihalani	₹ 20,000/-
		Director: Govind Nihalani	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For depicting marital pain very effectively.
Best Feature Film in Kannada	Muthina Haara	Producer: Rajendra Singh Babu	₹ 20,000/-
		Director: Rajendra Singh Babu	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For effectively portraying patriotism.
Best Feature Film in Malayalam	Vasthuhara	Producer: T. Ravindranath	₹ 20,000/-
		Director: G. Aravindan	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For being a human document, depicting the cruelties meted out by society to the dispossessed.
Best Feature Film in Tamil	Anjali	Producer: Sujatha Productions Pvt. Ltd	₹ 20,000/-
		Director: Mani Ratnam	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For the unusual usage of film form, utilising music, choreography and sound with depth, achieving the highest aesthetic excellence to narrate the emotional nearness of the mentally retarted.
Best Feature Film in Telugu	Matti Manushulu	Producer: K. Mukherjee and Veda Kumar	₹ 20,000/-
		Director: B. Narsing Rao	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For portraying the stark reality of pain which has been underlined with the warm hues of life.

Best Feature Film in Each of the Language Other Than Those Specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution

Name of Award	Name of Film	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Feature Film in Manipuri	Ishanou	Producer: Aribam Syam Sharma	₹ 20,000/-
		Director: Aribam Syam Sharma	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For effectively portraying the tragedy behind the institution of Maibi which unfortunately shatters a family.

Non-Feature Films

Short Films made in any Indian language and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary/newsreel/fiction are eligible for non-feature film section.

Juries

A committee headed by S. Krishnaswamy was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. Following were the jury members:^[1]

• Jury Members
  • S. Krishnaswamy (Chairperson) • Madan Bawaria • Pramod Mathur • Vijaya Nirmala • Swapan Ghose

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal^[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)', a certificate and cash prize.

Name of Award	Name of Film	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Non-Feature Film	Graven Image	English	Producer: Sumitendra Nath Tagore and Shyamasree Tagore Director: Abhijit Chattopadhyay	₹ 15,000/- Each
	Citation: For combining the intimate portrayal of a sculptor in terms of biographical detail, bringing in the nuances of his art, summing up to an excellent portrait of a person, an artist, a period, and achieing this with high cinematic values.

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal^[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.

Name of Award	Name of Film	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Anthropological / Ethnographic Film	Lolaab	English	Producer: Hillman Film Pvt. Ltd Director: Mohi-Ud-Din Mirza	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For dedication and conviction with which life in a remote area of the land has been portrayed, with intimacy, sympathy, authenticity and without being condescending, and for the apparent hard work that has gone into the production.
Best Biographical Film	Baba	English	Producer: Mediart Film Pvt. Ltd Director: Rajiv Mehrotra	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For the relaxed and sensitive portrayal of an extraordinary man of our times, bubbling with humanity, portraying the social causes for which Baba Amte has dedicated life, with a sense of deep involvement, never descending to eulogising.
Best Arts / Cultural Film	Figures of Thought	English	Producer: Arun Khopkar Director: Arun Khopkar	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For exceptionally beautiful portrayal of the work of three painters, with verve, and unpretentious, but excellent visuals.
	Vaastu Marabu	English	Producer: Min Bimbangal Director: Bala Kailasam	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For portraying the philosophy of traditional "Shilpi", transcending the physical form of the sculpture, exploring the collective unconscious of Indian sculptors.
Best Scientific Film (including Environment and Ecology)	Biotechnology: Some Possibilities	English	Producer: Gul Bahar Singh for Films Division Director: Nishith Banerjee	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For trading through new horizons of the futuristic, yet scientifically realisable possibilities at the threshold of a new era, with technical finesse.
Best Agricultural Film	Golden Earth	English	Producer: BAIF Development Research Foundation Director: Vishram Revankar	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For effective communication of the techniques of soil and water conservation, in a simple manner, without being simplistic with the medium.
Best Environment / Conservation / Preservation Film	Pratikriya	Desiya	Producer: Rahat Yusufi Director: Rahat Yusufi	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For dealing with the problem of the environment at the grassroots level, combining the talent to handle ordinary people and get excellent performances out of them, with a clarity of message and commitment to the cause.
Best Film on Social Issues	Safe Drinking Water for All	English	Producer: R. Krishna Mohan for Films Division Director: Mahesh P. Sinha	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For effectively portraying the fundamental problem of drinking water and the steps being taken to solve the problem, without descending to propaganda.
Best Educational / Motivational / Instructional Film	Ducks Out of Water	English	Producer: D. Gautaman Director: Raj Gopal Rao	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For beautiful imagery, elevating a routine theme to levels of aesthetic excellence.
	Natun Asha	Assamese	Producer: Beauty Sabhapandit Director: Arup Borthakur	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For being an instructional film in which form and content compete for excellence.
Best Exploration / Adventure Film (including Sports)	Indigenous Games of Manipur	English	Producer: Aribam Syam Sharma Director: Aribam Syam Sharma	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For sharing the primordial joys of spontaneous sports, tracing some historic links between the traditional sports of Manipur and the world at large.
Best Investigative Film	Una Mitran Di Yaad Pyaari (In Memory of Friends)	English, Hindi and Punjabi	Producer: Anand Patwardhan Director: Anand Patwardhan	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For the ardent pursuit of truth in an explosive contemporary atmosphere, with objectivity, courage and lucidity.
Best Short Fiction Film	Aamukh	Hindi	Producer: Film and Television Institute of India Director: Rajkumar	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For being a forceful statement of the personal rights of a woman through the emotional impact of one incident in which she rises against a social taboo.
Best Cinematography	Mohiniyattam	English	Cameraman: Santosh Sivan Laboratory Processing: Prasad Film Laboratories	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For evocative, lyrical beauty with which the camera has painted the dancer and her milieu.
	Where No Journeys End	English	Cameraman: Victor Banerjee Laboratory Processing: Chitranjali Laboratories	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For the dramatic manner in which the Indian landscape unfolds, seducing the viewer with timeless beauty of India.
Best Audiography	Mohor	Bengali	Sujit Sarkar	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For preserving the aura of Gurudev's presence by transporting the audience through the years in the flowering of Rabindra Sangeet, embellishing the performance of the great singer Kanika Bandopadhyay.
Best Editing	Mohiniyattam	English	Rajasekharan	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For making use of the full potential of the dimensions of space and time with creative excellence.
Special Jury Award	Ustad Amjad Ali Khan	Hindi	Gulzar (director)	₹ 10,000/-
	Citation: For bringing out the essence of a man and his music, emphassising the qualities of an artiste being distinct, but not distant from the people, as part of an unbroken tradition.
Special Mention	Technique of Seed Production in Wheat and Paddy	English	Raj Gopal Rao (Director)	Certificate Only
	Citation: For effective dissemination of agricultural information.
	Cactus and Roses	English	Siddharth Kak (Director)
	Citation: For his sophesticated presentation of a pioneering industrial establishment.
	Aadhi Haqueeqat Aadha Fasana	Hindi	Dilip Ghose (Director)
	Citation: For deglamourising the world of cinema in the minds of innocent toddler talent.
	Sambandh	Hindi	Naresh Saxena (Director)
	Citation: For the excellent nucleus of an idea, building an emotional bridge between a family and a tree.

Best Writing on Cinema

The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through publication of books, articles, reviews etc.

Juries

A committee headed by Amita Malik was appointed to evaluate the writing on Indian cinema. Following were the jury members:^[1]

• Jury Members
  • Amita Malik (Chairperson) • Vinod Bhardwaj • Punathil Kunjabdulla

Golden Lotus Award

Official Name: Swarna Kamal^[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Golden Lotus Award (Swarna Kamal)' and cash prize.

Name of Award	Name of Book	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Book on Cinema	Hindi Cinema Ka Itihaas	Hindi	Author: Manmohan Chadhha Publisher: Sachin Prakashan	₹ 10,000/- Each
	Citation: For placing the development of Hindi Cinema in the context of the totality of Indian Cinema and World Cinema, while giving due importance to research.

Silver Lotus Award

Official Name: Rajat Kamal^[1]

All the awardees are awarded with 'Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal)' and cash prize.

Name of Award	Language	Awardee(s)	Cash Prize
Best Film Critic	Bengali	Shoma A. Chatterjee	₹ 5,000/-
	Citation: For managing admirably to get away from routine and the beaten track. She has covered an astonishing range of subjects in the articles submitted. Whether it is an interview, a critique or analysis of an unusual subject, she has combined depth with elegance.

Awards not given

Following were the awards not given as no film was found to be suitable for the award:^[1]

• Best Children's Film
• Best Feature Film on National Integration
• Best Film on Family Welfare
• Best Film on Environment Conservation / Preservation
• Best Feature Film in English
• Best Feature Film in Marathi
• Best Feature Film in Oriya
• Best Feature Film in Punjabi
• Best Promotional Film
• Best Historical Reconstruction / Compilation Film
• Best Non-Feature Film on Family Welfare
• Best Animation Film
• Best First Non-Feature Film
• Best Non-Feature Film Direction