The National Film Award for Best Actress (officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress) is an honour presented annually at the
National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role within the
Indian film industry.[1][2] The National Film Awards were called the "State Awards for Films" when established in 1954. The State Awards instituted the "Best Actress" category in 1968 as the "Urvashi Award for the Best Actress";[1][3][4] in 1975, the "Urvashi Award" was renamed as the "Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress". Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the
Government of India has presented a total of 56 Best Actress awards to 45 different actresses.
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 that amounted to ₹50,000 (US$630) in
2012.[3] Although the Indian film industry produces films in more than 20
languages and dialects,[5] the actresses whose performances have won awards have worked in ten major languages:
Hindi (22 awards),
Bengali (7 awards),
Tamil (7 awards),
Malayalam (6 awards),
Telugu (4 awards),
Kannada (3 awards),
English (3 awards),
Marathi (2 awards),
Assamese (one award) and
Urdu (one award).
The first recipient was
Nargis Dutt from
Bollywood, who was honoured at the
15th National Film Awards (1967) for her performance in Raat Aur Din.[6] The actress who won the most Rajat Kamal awards is
Shabana Azmi with five wins,[7] followed by
Sharada and
Kangana Ranaut with three wins. As of 2021, four actresses—
Smita Patil,
Archana,
Shobana, and
Tabu who have won the award two times.
Sharada,
Archana and
Shobana are the only three actresses to get the award for performing in two different languages. Sharada was bestowed with the awards for her performances in two Malayalam films: Thulabharam and Swayamvaram in 1968 and 1972 respectively, and in 1978 for the Telugu film Nimajjanam. Archana was first honoured in 1987 for the Tamil film Veedu and was awarded for the second time in 1988 for the Telugu film Daasi. Shobana received her first award for the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu in 1993, and her second for the English film Mitr, My Friend in 2001. As of 2020, the late
Monisha Unni remains the youngest recipient of the honour; she was awarded for the Malayalam film Nakhakshathangal in 1986 when she was 16.[8][9]Indrani Haldar and
Rituparna Sengupta are the only two actresses to be honoured for the same film—Dahan.
Kangana Ranaut is the only actress to be honoured for her performance in two different films (Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and Panga) in the same year.
Sridevi is the only actress who was honoured posthumously for her performance in Mom (2017).[10] The most recent recipient are
Alia Bhatt and
Kriti Sanon, who were honoured at the
69th National Film Awards for their performances in the 2022 Hindi film Gangubai Kathiawadi and the 2021 Hindi film Mimi respectively.
^"64th National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 21. Archived from
the original(PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^"65th National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 21. Archived from
the original(PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
The National Film Award for Best Actress (officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress) is an honour presented annually at the
National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role within the
Indian film industry.[1][2] The National Film Awards were called the "State Awards for Films" when established in 1954. The State Awards instituted the "Best Actress" category in 1968 as the "Urvashi Award for the Best Actress";[1][3][4] in 1975, the "Urvashi Award" was renamed as the "Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress". Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the
Government of India has presented a total of 56 Best Actress awards to 45 different actresses.
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 that amounted to ₹50,000 (US$630) in
2012.[3] Although the Indian film industry produces films in more than 20
languages and dialects,[5] the actresses whose performances have won awards have worked in ten major languages:
Hindi (22 awards),
Bengali (7 awards),
Tamil (7 awards),
Malayalam (6 awards),
Telugu (4 awards),
Kannada (3 awards),
English (3 awards),
Marathi (2 awards),
Assamese (one award) and
Urdu (one award).
The first recipient was
Nargis Dutt from
Bollywood, who was honoured at the
15th National Film Awards (1967) for her performance in Raat Aur Din.[6] The actress who won the most Rajat Kamal awards is
Shabana Azmi with five wins,[7] followed by
Sharada and
Kangana Ranaut with three wins. As of 2021, four actresses—
Smita Patil,
Archana,
Shobana, and
Tabu who have won the award two times.
Sharada,
Archana and
Shobana are the only three actresses to get the award for performing in two different languages. Sharada was bestowed with the awards for her performances in two Malayalam films: Thulabharam and Swayamvaram in 1968 and 1972 respectively, and in 1978 for the Telugu film Nimajjanam. Archana was first honoured in 1987 for the Tamil film Veedu and was awarded for the second time in 1988 for the Telugu film Daasi. Shobana received her first award for the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu in 1993, and her second for the English film Mitr, My Friend in 2001. As of 2020, the late
Monisha Unni remains the youngest recipient of the honour; she was awarded for the Malayalam film Nakhakshathangal in 1986 when she was 16.[8][9]Indrani Haldar and
Rituparna Sengupta are the only two actresses to be honoured for the same film—Dahan.
Kangana Ranaut is the only actress to be honoured for her performance in two different films (Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and Panga) in the same year.
Sridevi is the only actress who was honoured posthumously for her performance in Mom (2017).[10] The most recent recipient are
Alia Bhatt and
Kriti Sanon, who were honoured at the
69th National Film Awards for their performances in the 2022 Hindi film Gangubai Kathiawadi and the 2021 Hindi film Mimi respectively.
^"64th National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 21. Archived from
the original(PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^"65th National Film Awards"(PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 21. Archived from
the original(PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.