(This article is authored by Alar)

The 69th edition of the prestigious National Film Awards, conferred by the Government of India, was announced on Thursday at a press conference held in New Delhi. The awards celebrate the excellence and diversity of Indian cinema across various languages and genres. Among the winners, two Tamil films stood out for their remarkable achievements.

R Madhavan’s ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ won the National Award for the Best Feature Film category. The prestigious award also won by SS Rajamouli-directed RRR which bagged six awards, including in the category of the Best Popular film providing wholesome entertainment. Allu Arjun was announced as the winner of the Best Actor award for Pushpa: The Rise -Part 1.

Rocketry is based on the life of Nambi Narayanan, a former scientist and aerospace engineer of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who was falsely accused of espionage and spent years in prison before being exonerated.

The film, which marks Madhavan’s directorial debut, also stars him in the lead role as Narayanan. The film has been praised for its gripping narrative, realistic portrayal of the events, and stellar performance by Madhavan. Director M Manikandan’s ‘Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer)’ won the honours for the Best Tamil Film.

The film tells the story of an 85-year-old farmer, played by Nallandi, who lives alone in a remote village and struggles to preserve his traditional way of life amid modernization and urbanization. The film is a poignant commentary on the plight of farmers in India, as well as a tribute to their resilience and wisdom. The film also features Vijay Sethupathi in a cameo role as a veterinarian.

Both films have received critical acclaim and commercial success, and have showcased the talent and creativity of Tamil cinema to the national and international audience. The winners will receive their awards from the President of India at a ceremony to be held later this year.