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.
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, Template:INR 1,00,000 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)Template:•Usha KhannaTemplate:•P. V. GangadharanTemplate:•Honey IraniTemplate:•Janardhan RoyTemplate:•Raj BisariaTemplate:•T. Subbarami ReddyTemplate:•SripriyaTemplate:•Komal SwaminathanTemplate:•J. P. DasTemplate:•Rekha SahayTemplate:•G. V. IyerTemplate:•T. S. NarasimhanTemplate:•Bhupen HazarikaTemplate:•Kalpana LajmiTemplate:•Premlata BajpaiTemplate:•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 | Template:INR 50,000/- |
| Director: K. S. Sethumadhavan | Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 40,000/- |
| Director: Rajkumar Santoshi | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR30,000/- |
| Director: Tapan Sinha | Template:INR15,000/- | |||
| 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 | Template:INR 30,000/- |
| Director: K. Balachander | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 10,000/- |
| Citation: For a towering performance, rising above the script with variation and nuances at all levels. | ||||
| Best Actress | Karthavyam | Telugu | Vijayashanti | Template:INR 10,000/- |
| Citation: For depicting both aggression and femininity with balance and restraint. | ||||
| Best Supporting Actor | His Highness Abdullah | Malayalam | Nedumudi Venu | Template:INR 10,000/- |
| Citation: For maintaining the character with consistency and sensitivity. | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | Amaram | Malayalam | K. P. A. C. Lalitha | Template:INR 10,000/- |
| Citation: For portraying an ethnic character with authenticity. | ||||
| Best Child Artist | Anjali | Tamil | Template:*Baby Shruti Template:*Master Tarun Template:*Baby Shamili |
Template:INR 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 Template:Small | Malayalam | M. G. Sreekumar | Template:INR 10,000/- |
| Citation: For an excellent rendering of a classical-based tune encompassing all ranges accurately. | ||||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Lekin... | Hindi | Lata Mangeshkar | Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 10,000/- Each |
| Citation: For heightening the mood of the film with the highest visual standards. | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Marupakkam | Tamil | K. S. Sethumadhavan | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 10,000/- |
| Citation: For slick well-placed editing which elevates the craft of the film. | ||||
| Best Art Direction | Lekin... | Hindi | Nitish Roy | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 10,000/- |
| Citation: For using traditional tunes and instruments creatively, with litting melody and haunting perfection. | ||||
| Best Lyrics | Lekin... | Hindi | Gulzar | Template:INR 10,000/- |
| Citation: For evoking beautiful imagery, created through lyrical poetry. | ||||
| Special Jury Award | Ek Doctor Ki Maut | Hindi | Pankaj Kapoor (Actor) | Template:INR 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 (Actress) | ||
| Citation: For a touching portrayal of the agony of a woman who has been emotionally neglected, unwittingly. | ||||
| Special Mention | Ishanou | Meitei | Anoubam Kiranmala (Actress) | 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 | Template:INR 20,000/- |
| Director: Hemen Das | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 20,000/- |
| Director: Nabyendu Chatterjee | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 20,000/- |
| Director: Govind Nihalani | Template:INR 10,000/- | ||
| Citation: For depicting marital pain very effectively. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Kannada | Muthina Haara | Producer: Rajendra Singh Babu | Template:INR 20,000/- |
| Director: Rajendra Singh Babu | Template:INR 10,000/- | ||
| Citation: For effectively portraying patriotism. | |||
| Best Feature Film in Malayalam | Vasthuhara | Producer: T. Ravindranath | Template:INR 20,000/- |
| Director: G. Aravindan | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 20,000/- |
| Director: Mani Ratnam | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 20,000/- |
| Director: B. Narsing Rao | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 20,000/- |
| Director: Aribam Syam Sharma | Template:INR 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)Template:•Madan BawariaTemplate:•Pramod MathurTemplate:•Vijaya NirmalaTemplate:•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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 Template:Small Films Division Director: Nishith Banerjee |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 Template:Small Films Division Director: Mahesh P. Sinha |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 |
Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 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) | Template:INR 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)Template:•Vinod BhardwajTemplate:•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 |
Template:INR 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 | Template:INR 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]
Template:Col start Template:Col 2
- 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