The Best Actor National Award has been presented annually since 1967 with a Rajat Kamal trophy, where Amitabh Bachchan holds the record with four wins, Riddhi Sen is the youngest winner, and the 2023 award was shared between Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey.
This definitive database covers every single winner from 1967 to 2026. It provides a complete chronological list, analyzes the multi-win dynasties, explains the unique “two films in one year” phenomenon, and details the significant contribution of South Indian actors to this prestigious honor.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Best Actor National Award?
- Complete Best Actor National Award Winners List (1967 to 2026)
- Which Actor Has Won the Best Actor Award the Most Times?
- The “Two Films in One Year” Phenomenon
- When Two Actors Shared the Best Actor Award
- The Youngest Best Actor Winner in NFA History
- South Indian Actors and the Best Actor National Award
- Recent Best Actor National Award Winners (2018 to 2023)
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Actor National Award
What Is the Best Actor National Award?
The Best Actor National Award is India’s highest acting honor originally called the Bharat Award for Best Actor, which awards a Rajat Kamal trophy and Rs 2,00,000 to the single best leading male performance in Indian cinema each year.
The Government of India instituted the Best Actor category in 1967. The organizers did not present this specific acting award during the first 14 editions of the National Film Awards from 1954 to 1966. The central jury first evaluated individual performances for films certified in 1967. They initially named the honor the Bharat Award for Best Actor.
Today, the winner receives a Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) trophy. They also receive a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000.
A central jury of veteran filmmakers and critics evaluates acting performances across all Indian languages. They look for authenticity, emotional depth, and mastery of the craft. They do not consider box office collections or star power.
This category strictly honors a performance in a single leading role. It is entirely different from the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The government gives the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to honor an entire lifetime of contributions to cinema. The Best Actor award focuses purely on one specific character portrayed in one specific calendar year.
Read the complete guide to National Film Awards to understand how the central jury evaluates all categories.
Complete Best Actor National Award Winners List (1967 to 2026)
The National Film Awards have honored 64 performances with the Rajat Kamal from Uttam Kumar in 1967 to Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey in 2023, covering 57 editions of India’s highest acting honor.
The following database provides the complete, historically verified list of all Best Actor winners. The “Award Year” indicates the calendar year the film was certified. The “Edition” marks the specific National Film Awards ceremony.
| Award Year | Edition | Actor | Film | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 15th | Uttam Kumar | Anthony Firingee, Chiriyakhana | Bengali |
| 1968 | 16th | Ashok Kumar | Aashirwad | Hindi |
| 1969 | 17th | Utpal Dutt | Bhuvan Shome | Hindi |
| 1970 | 18th | Sanjeev Kumar | Dastak | Hindi |
| 1971 | 19th | M. G. Ramachandran | Rickshawkaran | Tamil |
| 1972 | 20th | Sanjeev Kumar | Koshish | Hindi |
| 1973 | 21st | P. J. Antony | Nirmalyam | Malayalam |
| 1974 | 22nd | Sadhu Meher | Ankur | Hindi |
| 1975 | 23rd | M. V. Vasudeva Rao | Chomana Dudi | Kannada |
| 1976 | 24th | Mithun Chakraborty | Mrigayaa | Hindi |
| 1977 | 25th | Bharath Gopi | Kodiyettam | Malayalam |
| 1978 | 26th | Arun Mukherjee | Parashuram | Bengali |
| 1979 | 27th | Naseeruddin Shah | Sparsh | Hindi |
| 1980 | 28th | Balan K. Nair | Oppol | Malayalam |
| 1981 | 29th | Om Puri | Arohan | Hindi |
| 1982 | 30th | Kamal Haasan | Moondram Pirai | Tamil |
| 1983 | 31st | Om Puri | Ardh Satya | Hindi |
| 1984 | 32nd | Naseeruddin Shah | Paar | Hindi |
| 1985 | 33rd | Shashi Kapoor | New Delhi Times | Hindi |
| 1986 | 34th | Charuhasan | Tabarana Kathe | Kannada |
| 1987 | 35th | Kamal Haasan | Nayakan | Tamil |
| 1988 | 36th | Premji | Piravi | Malayalam |
| 1989 | 37th | Mammootty | Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Mathilukal | Malayalam |
| 1990 | 38th | Amitabh Bachchan | Agneepath | Hindi |
| 1991 | 39th | Mohanlal | Bharatham | Malayalam |
| 1992 | 40th | Mithun Chakraborty | Tahader Katha | Bengali |
| 1993 | 41st | Mammootty | Vidheyan, Ponthan Mada | Malayalam |
| 1994 | 42nd | Nana Patekar | Krantiveer | Hindi |
| 1995 | 43rd | Rajit Kapur | The Making of the Mahatma | English |
| 1996 | 44th | Kamal Haasan | Indian | Tamil |
| 1997 | 45th | Balachandra Menon | Samantharam | Malayalam |
| 1997 | 45th | Suresh Gopi | Kaliyattam | Malayalam |
| 1998 | 46th | Ajay Devgn | Zakhm | Hindi |
| 1998 | 46th | Mammootty | Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar | English |
| 1999 | 47th | Mohanlal | Vanaprastham | Malayalam |
| 2000 | 48th | Anil Kapoor | Pukar | Hindi |
| 2001 | 49th | Murali | Neythukaran | Malayalam |
| 2002 | 50th | Ajay Devgn | The Legend of Bhagat Singh | Hindi |
| 2003 | 51st | Vikram | Pithamagan | Tamil |
| 2004 | 52nd | Saif Ali Khan | Hum Tum | Hindi |
| 2005 | 53rd | Amitabh Bachchan | Black | Hindi |
| 2006 | 54th | Soumitra Chatterjee | Podokkhep | Bengali |
| 2007 | 55th | Prakash Raj | Kanchivaram | Tamil |
| 2008 | 56th | Upendra Limaye | Jogwa | Marathi |
| 2009 | 57th | Amitabh Bachchan | Paa | Hindi |
| 2010 | 58th | Dhanush | Aadukalam | Tamil |
| 2010 | 58th | Salim Kumar | Adaminte Makan Abu | Malayalam |
| 2011 | 59th | Girish Kulkarni | Deool | Marathi |
| 2012 | 60th | Irrfan Khan | Paan Singh Tomar | Hindi |
| 2012 | 60th | Vikram Gokhale | Anumati | Marathi |
| 2013 | 61st | Rajkummar Rao | Shahid | Hindi |
| 2013 | 61st | Suraj Venjaramoodu | Perariyathavar | Malayalam |
| 2014 | 62nd | Sanchari Vijay | Naanu Avanalla…Avalu | Kannada |
| 2015 | 63rd | Amitabh Bachchan | Piku | Hindi |
| 2016 | 64th | Akshay Kumar | Rustom | Hindi |
| 2017 | 65th | Riddhi Sen | Nagarkirtan | Bengali |
| 2018 | 66th | Ayushmann Khurrana | Andhadhun | Hindi |
| 2018 | 66th | Vicky Kaushal | Uri: The Surgical Strike | Hindi |
| 2019 | 67th | Dhanush | Asuran | Tamil |
| 2019 | 67th | Manoj Bajpayee | Bhonsle | Hindi |
| 2020 | 68th | Suriya | Soorarai Pottru | Tamil |
| 2020 | 68th | Ajay Devgn | Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior | Hindi |
| 2021 | 69th | Allu Arjun | Pushpa: The Rise | Telugu |
| 2022 | 70th | Rishab Shetty | Kantara | Kannada |
| 2023 | 71st | Shah Rukh Khan | Jawan | Hindi |
| 2023 | 71st | Vikrant Massey | 12th Fail | Hindi |
Explore the all National Film Award winners from 1954 master directory to view winners across all major and minor categories.
Which Actor Has Won the Best Actor Award the Most Times?
Amitabh Bachchan has won the Best Actor National Award the most times with four victories for Agneepath, Black, Paa, and Piku, followed closely by Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, and Ajay Devgn who hold three wins each.
Winning a National Film Award once is a career-defining achievement. Winning it multiple times proves legendary consistency and absolute mastery of the acting craft.
The following table breaks down the elite multi-win dynasties in Indian cinema.
| Actor | Total Wins | Films Awarded | Award Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amitabh Bachchan | 4 | Agneepath, Black, Paa, Piku | 1990, 2005, 2009, 2015 |
| Kamal Haasan | 3 | Moondram Pirai, Nayakan, Indian | 1982, 1987, 1996 |
| Mammootty | 3 | Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha & Mathilukal, Vidheyan & Ponthan Mada, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar | 1989, 1993, 1998 |
| Ajay Devgn | 3 | Zakhm, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Tanhaji | 1998, 2002, 2020 |
| Mohanlal | 2 | Bharatham, Vanaprastham | 1991, 1999 |
| Naseeruddin Shah | 2 | Sparsh, Paar | 1979, 1984 |
| Mithun Chakraborty | 2 | Mrigayaa, Tahader Katha | 1976, 1992 |
| Sanjeev Kumar | 2 | Dastak, Koshish | 1970, 1972 |
| Om Puri | 2 | Arohan, Ardh Satya | 1981, 1982 |
| Dhanush | 2 | Aadukalam, Asuran | 2010, 2019 |
Amitabh Bachchan demonstrated incredible longevity. He won his first Best Actor award in 1990 and his fourth in 2015, spanning 25 years of evolving cinema.
Kamal Haasan dominated the 1980s and 1990s. He won all three of his awards for Tamil films that pushed the boundaries of character transformation. Mammootty won three times exclusively for Malayalam and English films, showcasing an intense range of historical and literary characters.
Ajay Devgn surprised many critics by winning three times over two decades. The jury frequently rewarded his intense, brooding performances in biographical and historical dramas. Om Puri holds a unique record in this group. He won the Best Actor award in two consecutive years (1981 and 1982).
Browse the Best Actress National Award complete history to compare these records with the female multi-win dynasties.
The “Two Films in One Year” Phenomenon
Three times in history, a single actor won the Best Actor award for performing in two different films in the same award year, including Uttam Kumar in 1967 and Mammootty in 1989 and 1993.
The National Film Awards regulations allow a unique scenario that rarely happens in other global award ceremonies. The central jury can honor an actor for their collective work across two different feature films released in the exact same calendar year.
This phenomenon occurred in the very first year the award was instituted. In 1967, Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar delivered two completely contrasting performances. He played a musical performer in Anthony Firingee and a sharp detective in Chiriyakhana. The jury decided both performances were equally brilliant and awarded him a single Best Actor prize for both films.
Mammootty repeated this incredible feat twice. In 1989, he won the Best Actor award for his roles in the historical epic Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha and the prison drama Mathilukal. Four years later in 1993, he won again for playing a tyrannical landlord in Vidheyan and an oppressed laborer in Ponthan Mada.
In these situations, the actor receives one Rajat Kamal trophy and one cash prize. The citation simply mentions both films as the reason for the single award. This differs entirely from a “shared award” where two different actors win.
Read about the Best Director National Award winners to see how directors have also occasionally won for multiple films in a single year.
When Two Actors Shared the Best Actor Award
The jury declared two separate actors joint winners of the Best Actor award in 2019 for Ayushmann Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal, and in 2023 for Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey, with each receiving the full Rajat Kamal.
The National Film Awards process occasionally results in a true tie. When the central jury debates the final candidates, they sometimes find two performances equally deserving. Instead of forcing a tie-breaker vote that dismisses a great performance, the regulations allow the jury to declare a shared award.
This happened prominently at the 66th National Film Awards honoring films from 2018. Ayushmann Khurrana delivered a brilliant performance as a blind pianist in Andhadhun. Vicky Kaushal delivered a powerhouse military performance in Uri: The Surgical Strike. The jury declared them joint winners.
A similar tie occurred at the 71st National Film Awards honoring films from 2023. Shah Rukh Khan delivered a massive commercial comeback in Jawan. Vikrant Massey delivered a deeply moving, grounded performance in 12th Fail. The jury recognized both approaches to acting and declared a tie.
When two actors share the award, the government does not split the prize. Both actors receive their own physical Rajat Kamal trophy. Both actors also receive the full Rs 2,00,000 cash prize. They are both considered full winners in the historical record.
Check the 71st National Film Awards complete winners list to see the full context of the 2023 shared award.
The Youngest Best Actor Winner in NFA History
Riddhi Sen became the youngest winner in the history of the Best Actor National Award at age 19 when the jury honored him for his performance in the Bengali film Nagarkirtan at the 65th National Film Awards.
The Best Actor category typically rewards veteran actors with decades of experience. The jury usually favors mature, seasoned performances. This makes Riddhi Sen’s victory in 2017 truly extraordinary.
Sen played the role of Parimal, a transgender woman navigating love and societal rejection in Kolkata, in the Bengali film Nagarkirtan. The role required immense emotional maturity, physical transformation, and psychological depth. Sen delivered a performance that stunned the central jury.
They awarded him the Best Actor prize over several established superstars. At just 19 years old, he shattered the record for the youngest recipient in the category.
His victory proved that the National Film Awards jury evaluates pure craft rather than seniority. The jury citation specifically praised his exceptional range and his ability to portray a complex marginalized identity with total authenticity.
Read the National Film Awards history to discover other record-breaking youth achievements in Indian cinema.
South Indian Actors and the Best Actor National Award
South Indian actors have won the Best Actor National Award in nearly half of all editions, with Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada cinema consistently producing multiple award-winning performances across all decades.
Entertainment media often focuses heavily on Bollywood. However, the Best Actor National Award database reveals a perfectly balanced linguistic landscape. South Indian actors have consistently dominated this category since the 1970s.
Malayalam cinema leads the South Indian charge. Actors like Mammootty, Mohanlal, Bharat Gopi, Premji, and Salim Kumar have repeatedly won the Rajat Kamal for their grounded, realistic acting styles. Tamil cinema has also produced massive winners. Kamal Haasan, Vikram, Dhanush, and Suriya have all secured the top prize for physically demanding and emotionally complex roles.
Kannada cinema has a strong historical presence with winners like M. V. Vasudeva Rao, Charuhasan, and recently Rishab Shetty. Telugu cinema, while traditionally focused on mass entertainers, broke through significantly when Allu Arjun won the Best Actor award for Pushpa: The Rise in 2021.
This linguistic balance proves the integrity of the National Film Awards. The central jury actively seeks out the best performances regardless of language, geography, or industry size. A powerful performance in a regional language carries the exact same weight as a performance in a massive Hindi blockbuster.
Explore the Best Malayalam Film National Award database to see the films that housed these legendary Malayalam acting performances.
Recent Best Actor National Award Winners (2018 to 2023)
From Ayushmann Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal in 2018 to Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey in 2023, the recent editions show a deliberate jury shift toward character-driven independent cinema over conventional mainstream stars.
The last five years of the Best Actor category reveal fascinating trends. The central jury has increasingly rewarded actors who take significant creative risks. They have moved away from traditional hero roles and embraced complex, flawed characters.
- 2018: Ayushmann Khurrana (Andhadhun) and Vicky Kaushal (Uri) — Unconventional commercial hits.
- 2019: Dhanush (Asuran) and Manoj Bajpayee (Bhonsle) — A perfect balance of Tamil mass appeal and Hindi indie grit.
- 2020: Suriya (Soorarai Pottru) and Ajay Devgn (Tanhaji) — Biographical and historical epics.
- 2021: Allu Arjun (Pushpa) — A rare victory for a pure commercial action entertainer.
- 2022: Rishab Shetty (Kantara) — A deeply rooted cultural performance that crossed boundaries.
- 2023: Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) and Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) — A tie between massive stardom and indie determination.
Rishab Shetty’s victory for Kantara exemplifies the current era. He directed himself in a performance rooted entirely in local folklore and physical theater. The jury recognized this unique artistic expression over standard dialogue-heavy roles. Similarly, Vikrant Massey’s win proved that a small-budget film can still secure the nation’s highest acting honor.
Review the 70th National Film Awards complete winners to see the full context of Rishab Shetty’s major victory.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Actor National Award
Does the Best Actor National Award winner receive a Swarna Kamal or a Rajat Kamal?
The Best Actor National Award winner receives a Rajat Kamal. The Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) is reserved for top film categories like Best Feature Film, while individual technical and acting categories receive the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) trophy.
Can a foreign national win the Best Actor National Award?
No, a foreign national cannot win the Best Actor National Award. According to the official regulations set by the Directorate of Film Festivals, only Indian citizens are eligible to win individual awards at the National Film Awards.
What is the prize money for winning the Best Actor National Award?
The prize money for winning the Best Actor National Award is Rs 2,00,000. The winner receives this cash amount via bank transfer along with their physical Rajat Kamal trophy and an official citation certificate from the President.
Has any actor won the Best Actor award in two consecutive years?
Om Puri has won the Best Actor National Award in two consecutive years. He won the award at the 29th NFA for the film Arohan (1981) and won it again at the 30th NFA for the film Ardh Satya (1982).
Has Shah Rukh Khan won the Best Actor National Award?
Yes, Shah Rukh Khan has won the Best Actor National Award. He won the prestigious Rajat Kamal for his performance in the film Jawan at the 71st National Film Awards honoring films released in the year 2023.
Discover More National Film Awards Coverage
- Read the National Film Awards jury selection process
- Browse the National Film Awards categories guide
- Explore the Best Feature Film National Award winners
- Browse the Best Tamil Film National Award
- Anticipate the 72nd National Film Awards
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