Award winning August movies at National Film Awards

To honor and celebrate Indian cinema, the 71st National Film Awards were announced on 1 August 2025. Films released and certified in the year 2023 were considered for the accolades. Apart from naming the best feature films and non-feature films, a lot of names shone bright in other categories. Notably, an international celebrity like Shah Rukh Khan won his first national award for best actor. On the honorary board were the likes of Rani Mukerji winning the best actress award and Vikrant Massey, also for best actor. ‘12th Fail’ bagged the Best Film Award. I thought it was apt to add a few of these films to the August movies list.

12^th Fail

Year: 2023
Duration: 2h 27m
Language: Hindi
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Cast: Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar, and others
Awards Won: Best Film and Best Actor at the National Film Awards in 2025, and several other Filmfare awards in 2024

The story of Manoj Kumar Sharma, son of an honest clerk, begins in a backward village in Chambal. The place is notorious for dacoits and also for cheating during public examinations. A newly transferred police officer, DSP Dushyant Singh, puts an end to the practice of cheating in schools. Consequently, Manoj, like most others, failed the examination that year. Manoj happens to encounter DSP Dushyant again. Deeply moved by his words, Manoj aspires to become a sincere officer like the DSP. He even cleared his exams the following year without cheating. Upon learning that the government has cancelled MPPSC exams for three years, his hope of becoming a DSP officer vanishes. The rest of the story unravels in Delhi, where he prepares for his UPSC exams to become an IPS officer. And that is where he befriends fellow student, Shraddha Joshi. The inspirational story is based on true events. And it is a perfect fit in the August movies list if you have yet to watch it.

Ullozhukk

Year: 2024
Duration: 2h 44m
Language: Malayalam
Director: Christo Tomy
Cast: Urvashi, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and others
Awards: Best Feature Film in Malayalam and Best Supporting Actress

The plot revolves around two women deeply entangled in life’s troubles. The film is set in a waterlogged village of Alappuzha, Kerala. Anju and her terminally ill husband, Thomaskutty, live with his mother, Leelamma. Anju lives a miserable life with his dying husband. Yet, she does everything possible without displeasing anyone. She was forced to marry him because her parents discovered she had an affair with Rajeev. Even after her marriage, she meets and fosters her bond with Rajeev. Soon enough, Thomaskutty passes away. And Anju is found to be carrying. Amid the pain of losing her son, Leelamma is ecstatic because Anju is carrying her son’s baby. But Anju knows it is Rajeev’s child. The flooded land and rains coincide with the ebbs and flows of the emotions the two women carry. A twist in the tale occurs when Leelamma learns her daughter-in-law has an affair, and the baby is not her son’s. And how both women deal with the situation makes it one of the touching August movies to watch.

Aatmapamphlet

Year: 2023
Duration: 1h 30m
Language: Marathi
Director: Ashish Avinash Bende
Cast: Om Bendkhale, Pranjalii Shrikant, and others
Awards: Best Debut Film and Best Film at Filmfare Awards Marathi

The story takes you through all the phenomenal events that have taken place in India since 1979. For that is the year in which Ashish, around whom the story revolves, was born. Amidst the socio-economic and political scenarios fading and rising, something eventful happens in the life of Ashish. Srushti holds his hand! Srushti is Ashish’s classmate. During a play at the school, she holds Ashish’s hand, and the action sparks the jitters in his life. The romantic journey of the 10-year-old progresses with all turns and twists. Much like the conditions outside his small world, his love life is no constant either. Change in Srushti’s timetable, another boy trying to woo her, and more gravely cast issues bring him to different group huddles. Ashish’s story echoes the life of every clever and idealistic Indian child.

Sam Bahadur

Year: 2023
Duration: 2h 30m
Languages: Hindi
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Fatima Sana, and others
Awards: Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values, Best Costume Design, Best Make-up Artist, and many other Filmfare awards.

Portraying a distinguished and decorated officer like India’s first field marshal, Sam Manekshaw, it is a political war drama. Certainly, it is one of the must-watch movies to be included in your august movie list. Sam Manekshaw’s Indian military journey began in Dehradun in 1934. In 1942, during the WW II, he was wounded in the Battle of Sittang Bridge but was awarded a gallantry honor. Independence of India, partition, and the subsequent Kashmir War highlight and promote the status of Manekshaw. His mannerisms display not only his deep knowledge of warfare but also his thorough acumen in existing political affairs. Prime Minister Nehru promoted Manekshaw to lieutenant-general and later as general officer commanding of the Eastern Command. Later, upon the demise of Nehru, Indira became the prime minister. She promotes him to the rank of field marshal before his retirement.

Kathal

Year: 2023
Duration: 1h 55m
Languages: Hindi
Director: Yashowardhan Mishra
Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Anant Joshi and others
Awards: Best Hindi Feature Film

For Inspector Mahima from Moba station, arresting a most-wanted criminal seems an easy task. However, the next case in her hand is a burglary. The stolen property, 2 jackfruits from the house of the local MLA, makes the case a strange and tough one. And it has fallen on Mahima to find the fruits ASAP. Since Mahima belongs to a lower cast, despite being an inspector, she faces insult and scorn on many occasions. Pressure mounts on her to recover the jackfruits before they ripen. While the police are looking for MLA’s gardener Birwa in connection with the burglary, he is chasing the police to file a missing person’s complaint. His teenage daughter, Amiya, is missing. The police refuse to take up his case as they are all too busy finding the missing jackfruits. When Mahima learns about it, she devises a plan. She declares that Amiya is behind the robbery, thereby forcing the police force to go in search of the missing girl. At the end, the police find Amiya. Mahima’s astute action is appreciated by the court.

Before winding up the august movies list, a quick look at other award-winning entries in the 71^st National Film Awards is a good idea. Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, HanuMan, Naal 2, 2018, Pushkara, and Deep Fridge are a few notable movies among them.