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Subject: Art formsXDance

  • National Film Awards 2026

    National Film Awards 2026

    Why in the News?

    The 72nd National Film Awards will honour Indian films certified during 2024. The awards were announced on 18 July 2026 and will be presented by the President of India on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat.

    Key Highlights

    • National Film Awards instituted: 1954
    • Conferred annually by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
    • Cover three sections:
      • Feature Films
      • Non-Feature Films
      • Best Writing on Cinema
    • Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest honour in Indian cinema.

    Evolution

    • 1913: Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra, a landmark in Indian filmmaking.
    • 1954: National Film Awards instituted as State Awards for Films.
    • 1968: First Best Actor and Best Actress awards.
    • 1969: Dadasaheb Phalke Award instituted; Devika Rani was the first recipient.
    • 1973: Directorate of Film Festivals began administering the awards.
    • 2022: Directorate of Film Festivals merged into NFDC, the present implementing body.

    Award Structure

    Feature Films

    • 26 categories, including special mentions.
    • Awards include Swarna Kamal and Rajat Kamal.
    • Cash prizes: ₹3 lakh and ₹2 lakh.

    Non-Feature Films

    • 16 categories, including special mentions.
    • Covers documentaries, short films, animation and related forms.

    Best Writing on Cinema

    • Best Book on Cinema
    • Best Film Critic

    Dadasaheb Phalke Award

    • Highest honour in Indian cinema.
    • Swarna Kamal + shawl
    • Cash prize: ₹10 lakh for the 72nd edition.

    72nd National Film Awards: Key Winners

    • Best Feature Film: Article 370
    • Best Direction: Rajkumar Periasamy for Amaran
    • Best Actor: Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan, shared
    • Best Actress: Yami Gautam for Article 370
    • Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Kalki 2898 AD
    • Best Debut Film of a Director: Randeep Hooda for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar
    • Best Non-Feature Film: Bhangaar
    • Best Documentary: Ram-Nami
    • Best Debut Film of a Director, Non-Feature: Angen by Ravi Raj Murmu
    • Best Children’s Film: 35 – Chinna Katha Kaadu

    Language Diversity

    • Best Feature Film awards are given for languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
    • Films in other languages can receive separate recognition.
    • In the 72nd edition:
      • Dholi: Garhwali
      • IMBU: Tulu
    • A Santhali film was recognised in the Non-Feature Film section for the first time.

    How are Awards Selected?

    • Entries are invited for films certified during the preceding calendar year.
    • Separate juries are constituted for the three award sections.
    • Feature films undergo a two-tier examination:
      1. Five regional panels shortlist entries.
      2. A central panel selects the winners.
    • The Dadasaheb Phalke Award follows a separate process and has no open entries. A specially constituted committee recommends the recipient.

    Eligibility

    • Film must be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the award year.
    • Must carry English subtitles.
    • Feature film must run for more than 72 minutes.
    • Previously submitted dubbed, remade or re-edited versions are not eligible.

    Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024

    • Recipient: Anant Nag
    • Announced: 16 September 2026
    • Acting career spans over five decades.
    • Has worked in more than 300 films across six Indian languages.
    • Received Padma Bhushan in 2025.

    Prelims Quick Revision

    • National Film Awards: instituted in 1954
    • First awards: honoured films of 1953
    • Administering ministry: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
    • Present implementing body: NFDC
    • Highest cinema honour: Dadasaheb Phalke Award
    • First Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient: Devika Rani
    • 72nd edition: films certified in 2024
    • Ceremony: 22 September 2026, Ekta Nagar, Gujarat
    • Feature films: two-tier jury process
    • Dadasaheb Phalke Award: separate selection process
    • Anant Nag: Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024

  • Pandavani Legend Teejan Bai Passes Away

    Why in News?

    Padma Vibhushan awardee Teejan Bai (1956–2026), the foremost exponent of Pandavani, passed away at AIIMS Raipur. She played a pivotal role in taking Chhattisgarh’s traditional folk art to the global stage.

    Key Highlights

    • Born in Ganiyari village (Durg district), Chhattisgarh.
    • Learned Pandavani from her maternal grandfather Brajlal Pardha and gave her first public performance at 13 years of age.
    • Broke gender barriers by performing in the Kapalika style, traditionally reserved for men.
    • Performed in over 17 countries, popularising Indian folk traditions worldwide.
    • Received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.

    About Pandavani

    • A traditional folk storytelling and musical art form of Chhattisgarh.
    • Narrates episodes from the Mahabharata through singing, narration, acting, and dialogue.
    • The performer uses a tanpura (tambura) as both a musical instrument and a symbolic prop.

    Two Styles of Pandavani

    • Vedamati Style: Performed while sitting, with greater emphasis on narration.
    • Kapalika Style: Performed while standing, combining dramatic acting, gestures, expressions, and dialogue.

    [2014] A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their:

    (a) Martial arts in North-East India

    (b) Musical tradition in North-West India

    (c) Classical vocal music in South India

    (d) Pietra dura tradition in Central India.

  • Discuss the Tandava dance as recorded in the early Indian inscriptions.

  • Mohenjo-daro’s “Dancing Girl”: History, Identity and the Debate on Modesty

    Why in News?

    The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) restored the original image of the iconic Mohenjo-daro bronze figurine in a Class 9 textbook after an earlier version had shaded its bare torso, reviving debates over cultural representation and historical interpretation.

    About the Figurine

    • A bronze statuette discovered at Mohenjo-daro (1926), dating to the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2500 BCE).
    • About 10.5 cm tall, created using the lost-wax casting technique.
    • Depicts a young female figure adorned with numerous bangles and ornaments.

    Why is its Identity Contested?

    • Archaeologist John Marshall identified it as a “nautch girl” (dancing girl) based on posture and appearance.
    • However, scholars argue there is no archaeological evidence that she was a professional dancer.
    • Historian Upinder Singh notes that the figure “may not have been dancing at all.”
    • Archaeologist Gregory L. Possehl also questioned the dancer interpretation.

    Partition and Ownership Debate

    • After Partition, around 12,000 Harappan artefacts in Delhi became subjects of dispute between India and Pakistan.
    • Both countries agreed to a 50:50 division of artefacts from Mohenjo-daro and Chanhu-daro.
    • Pakistan chose the “Priest King” figurine over the Dancing Girl, reportedly due to concerns over the latter’s nudity.
    • The Dancing Girl remains in India and is viewed by many scholars as part of the shared heritage of South Asia.

    Significance

    • Demonstrates the advanced metallurgical skills of the Indus Valley Civilization.
    • Highlights how colonial interpretations and contemporary moral values shape our understanding of the past.
    • Reflects debates on heritage ownership, gender, modesty, and cultural identity.

    Value Addition

    • Lost-Wax Casting Technique: A metal casting process in which a wax model is covered with clay; molten metal replaces the melted wax to create the final sculpture.
    • The Dancing Girl is one of the most iconic artistic representations of the Indus Valley Civilization.

    [2025] The famous female figurine known as ‘Dancing Girl’, found at Mohenjo-daro, is made of

    [A] carnelian

    [B] clay

    [C] bronze

    [D] gold

  • How do you distinguish between Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dances? 1. Dancers occasionally speaking dialogues is found in Kuchipudi dance but not in Bharatanatyam. 2. Dancing on the brass plate by keeping the feet on its edges is a feature of Bharatanatyam but Kuchipudi dance does not have such a form of movements.

    How do you distinguish between Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dances? 1. Dancers occasionally speaking dialogues is found in Kuchipudi dance but not in Bharatanatyam. 2. Dancing on the brass plate by keeping the feet on its edges is a feature of Bharatanatyam but Kuchipudi dance does not have such a form of movements.

  • In the context of cultural history of India, a pose in dance and dramatics called ‘Tribhanga’ has been a favourite of Indian artists from ancient times till today. Which one of the following statements best describes this pose

    In the context of cultural history of India, a pose in dance and dramatics called ‘Tribhanga’ has been a favourite of Indian artists from ancient times till today. Which one of the following statements best describes this pose?

  • With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements

    With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements:
    1. Sattriya is a combination of music, dance and drama.
    2. It is a centuries-old living tradition of Vaishnavites of Assam.
    3. It is based on classical Ragas and Talas of devotional songs composed by Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?