Best Actress National Award Winners: Every Winner Since 1967

Manu Faria

•

,

The Best Actress National Award has been presented annually since 1967 with a Rajat Kamal trophy, where Shabana Azmi holds the all-time record with five wins including three consecutive years, and Nargis Dutt was the inaugural recipient.

This complete database documents every Best Actress winner from 1967 to 2026. It explores Shabana Azmi’s unbeaten historical dynasty, Kangana Ranaut’s modern records, the high frequency of shared awards in this category, and the generational shift from parallel cinema to mainstream blockbusters.

Best Actress National Award Winners

Table of Contents

  1. What Is the Best Actress National Award?
  2. Complete Best Actress National Award Winners List (1967 to 2026)
  3. Which Actress Has Won the Best Actress Award the Most Times?
  4. Shabana Azmi’s Three Consecutive Years Record
  5. Kangana Ranaut’s Three Best Actress Wins
  6. When Two Actresses Shared the Best Actress Award
  7. Parallel Cinema to Commercial Cinema: How Jury Taste Evolved
  8. Recent Best Actress National Award Winners (2018 to 2023)
  9. Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Actress National Award

What Is the Best Actress National Award?

The Best Actress National Award is India’s highest acting honor for a female lead performance presented annually since 1967 with a Rajat Kamal trophy and Rs 2,00,000, with Nargis Dutt serving as the inaugural recipient for Raat Aur Din.

The Government of India established this category in 1967. The National Film Awards did not present a Best Actress prize during its first 14 editions from 1954 to 1966. The jury first evaluated female lead performances for films certified in the year 1967.

The winner receives a Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) trophy. She also receives a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000.

A central jury of filmmakers and critics evaluates performances across all Indian languages. They focus entirely on acting craft, emotional depth, and authenticity. Box office success does not influence their decision.

This category honors a single leading performance in a specific movie. It is distinct from the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award recognizes a complete lifetime of contributions to Indian cinema. The Best Actress award recognizes the brilliance of one specific character portrayal.

Explore the complete guide to National Film Awards to learn about the history of the Silver Lotus trophy.

Complete Best Actress National Award Winners List (1967 to 2026)

The complete list spans 57 editions of the National Film Awards honoring extraordinary female performances across all Indian languages from Nargis Dutt’s inaugural win in 1967 to Rani Mukerji’s victory in 2023.

The following database provides the complete, historically verified list of all Best Actress winners. The “Award Year” reflects the calendar year the film was certified. The “Edition” marks the specific award ceremony.

Award YearEditionActressFilmLanguage
196715thNargis DuttRaat Aur DinHindi
196816thSharadaThulabharamMalayalam
196917thMadhabi MukherjeeDibratrir KabyaBengali
197018thRehana SultanDastakHindi
197119thWaheeda RehmanReshma Aur SheraHindi
197220thSharadaSwayamvaramMalayalam
197321stNandini BhaktavatsalaKaaduKannada
197422ndShabana AzmiAnkurHindi
197523rdSharmila TagoreMausamHindi
197624thLakshmiSila Nerangalil Sila ManithargalTamil
197725thSmita PatilBhumikaHindi
197826thSharadaNimajjanamTelugu
197927thShobaPasiTamil
198028thSmita PatilChakraHindi
198129thRekhaUmrao JaanHindi / Urdu
198230thShabana AzmiArthHindi
198331stShabana AzmiKhandharHindi
198432ndShabana AzmiPaarHindi
198533rdSuhasiniSindhu BhairaviTamil
198634thMonishaNakhakshathangalMalayalam
198735thArchanaVeeduTamil
198836thArchanaDaasiTelugu
198937thSreelekha MukherjiParshuramer KutharBengali
199038thVijayashantiKarthavyamTelugu
199139thMoloya GoswamiFiringotiAssamese
199240thDimple KapadiaRudaliHindi
199341stShobanaManichitrathazhuMalayalam
199442ndDebashree RoyUnishe AprilBengali
199543rdSeema BiswasBandit QueenHindi
199644thTabuMaachisHindi
199745thIndrani HaldarDahanBengali
199745thRituparna SenguptaDahanBengali
199846thShabana AzmiGodmotherHindi
199947thKirron KherBariwaliBengali
200048thRaveena TandonDamanHindi
200149thShobanaMitr, My FriendEnglish
200149thTabuChandni BarHindi
200250thKonkona Sen SharmaMr. and Mrs. IyerEnglish
200351stMeera JasminePaadam Onnu: Oru VilapamMalayalam
200452ndTaraHasinaKannada
200553rdSarikaParzaniaEnglish
200654thPriyamaniParuthiveeranTamil
200755thUmashreeGulabi TalkiesKannada
200856thPriyanka ChopraFashionHindi
200957thAnanya ChatterjeeAbohomanBengali
201058thMitalee Jagtap VaradkarBaboo Band BaajaMarathi
201058thSaranya PonvannanThenmerku ParuvakaatruTamil
201159thVidya BalanThe Dirty PictureHindi
201260thUsha JadhavDhagMarathi
201361stGeetanjali ThapaLiar’s DiceHindi
201462ndKangana RanautQueenHindi
201563rdKangana RanautTanu Weds Manu ReturnsHindi
201664thSurabhi LakshmiMinnaminunguMalayalam
201765thSrideviMomHindi
201866thKeerthy SureshMahanatiTelugu
201967thKangana RanautManikarnika & PangaHindi
202068thAparna BalamuraliSoorarai PottruTamil
202169thAlia BhattGangubai KathiawadiHindi
202169thKriti SanonMimiHindi
202270thNithya MenenThiruchitrambalamTamil
202270thManasi ParekhKutch ExpressGujarati
202371stRani MukerjiMrs. Chatterjee vs NorwayHindi

Read the all National Film Award winners from 1954 master directory to view winners from every category across these 57 editions.

Which Actress Has Won the Best Actress Award the Most Times?

Shabana Azmi has won the Best Actress National Award the most times with five victories for Ankur, Arth, Khandhar, Paar, and Godmother, making her the undisputed record holder in the history of this category.

Winning multiple Best Actress awards requires immense versatility over a long career. A very small group of actresses have achieved this milestone.

ActressTotal WinsFilms AwardedAward Years
Shabana Azmi5Ankur, Arth, Khandhar, Paar, Godmother1974, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1998
Kangana Ranaut3Queen, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Manikarnika & Panga2014, 2015, 2019
Sharada3Thulabharam, Swayamvaram, Nimajjanam1968, 1972, 1978
Smita Patil2Bhumika, Chakra1977, 1980
Archana2Veedu, Daasi1987, 1988
Shobana2Manichitrathazhu, Mitr My Friend1993, 2001
Tabu2Maachis, Chandni Bar1996, 2001

Shabana Azmi’s five wins span 24 years. She won her first award for Ankur in 1974 and her fifth for Godmother in 1998. No other actress has matched this level of prolonged dominance.

Sharada achieved an incredible feat by winning her three awards across two different languages. She won twice for Malayalam films and once for a Telugu film. Archana matched this linguistic flexibility by winning for a Tamil film and a Telugu film in consecutive years.

Compare these records with the Best Actor National Award complete history to see how male actors have performed in the same timeframe.

Shabana Azmi’s Three Consecutive Years Record

Shabana Azmi is the only actress in the history of the Best Actress National Award to win the Rajat Kamal for three consecutive calendar years, winning for Arth in 1982, Khandhar in 1983, and Paar in 1984.

This consecutive winning streak remains one of the most astonishing records in Indian cinema. Between 1982 and 1984, the central jury essentially determined that Shabana Azmi had no equal.

In 1982, she won for Arth. She played a deeply complex wife dealing with her husband’s infidelity. In 1983, she won for Khandhar. She played a silent, tragic figure trapped in a ruined estate. In 1984, she won for Paar. She delivered a physically exhausting performance as a rural woman fleeing caste violence.

The Indian parallel cinema movement powered this incredible streak. Visionary directors wrote incredibly deep roles specifically for her. No other actor or actress has ever won a top National Film Award three years in a row.

Kangana Ranaut is the only actress to come close to this specific record in the modern era. She won in two consecutive years for Queen (2014) and Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015).

Read about the National Film Awards history to understand the impact of the parallel cinema movement on jury selections during the 1980s.

Kangana Ranaut’s Three Best Actress Wins

Kangana Ranaut has won the Best Actress National Award three times for Queen in 2014, Tanu Weds Manu Returns in 2015, and for both Manikarnika and Panga in 2019, making her the modern era record holder.

Kangana Ranaut transformed the Best Actress category in the 2010s. She proved that mainstream, commercially successful Hindi films could win top honors if they featured exceptional performances.

In 2014, she won for Queen. She played a naive woman who travels to Europe alone after a canceled wedding. In 2015, she won for Tanu Weds Manu Returns. She played a highly technical double role that required distinct body language and accents.

In 2019, she established a unique milestone. The jury awarded her the Best Actress prize for two different films in the exact same year. She won for her performance in the historical epic Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and the sports drama Panga. The NFA regulations allow a single actor to win for their collective work across multiple films in a single calendar year.

She also holds a Best Supporting Actress National Award for the 2008 film Fashion. This brings her total National Film Award acting tally to four.

Check the National Film Awards categories guide to see the rules regarding actors winning for multiple films.

When Two Actresses Shared the Best Actress Award

The jury declared two separate actresses as joint winners at least five times including 2021 when Alia Bhatt won for Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kriti Sanon won for Mimi, with both receiving the full Rajat Kamal.

The Best Actress category features a remarkably high frequency of shared awards compared to the Best Actor category. When the central jury cannot separate two exceptional performances, they declare a tie.

This has occurred five times in modern NFA history:

  • 1997: Indrani Haldar and Rituparna Sengupta (both for Dahan)
  • 2001: Shobana (Mitr, My Friend) and Tabu (Chandni Bar)
  • 2010: Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar (Baboo Band Baaja) and Saranya Ponvannan (Thenmerku Paruvakaatru)
  • 2021: Alia Bhatt (Gangubai Kathiawadi) and Kriti Sanon (Mimi)
  • 2022: Nithya Menen (Thiruchitrambalam) and Manasi Parekh (Kutch Express)

The 1997 award is unique because both actresses won for their performances in the exact same film. The other instances involved actresses from completely different films, often in different languages.

When a tie occurs, the government does not divide the prize. Both actresses receive their own physical Rajat Kamal trophy. Both actresses also receive the full Rs 2,00,000 cash prize.

Review the 70th National Film Awards complete winners to see the full context of the 2022 shared award.

Parallel Cinema to Commercial Cinema: How Jury Taste Evolved

The Best Actress award shifted decisively from parallel cinema actresses like Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi in the 1970s to mainstream commercial stars like Kangana Ranaut, Alia Bhatt, and Priyanka Chopra from 2008 onwards.

The complete winners list tells a fascinating story about the evolution of Indian cinema. Jury preferences have shifted dramatically over the past five decades.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the jury heavily favored the parallel cinema movement. Actresses like Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, and Rekha won for deeply serious, unglamorous roles in low-budget artistic films. Mainstream Bollywood actresses almost never won.

The 1990s and early 2000s marked a transition. Actresses like Seema Biswas, Tabu, and Konkona Sen Sharma won for bridging the gap between art house and commercial cinema.

A permanent shift occurred starting in 2008 when Priyanka Chopra won for the glossy commercial film Fashion. In 2011, Vidya Balan won for the massive blockbuster The Dirty Picture. Today, mainstream commercial stars consistently win the award. The modern jury believes that a performance in a massive box office hit can possess the same artistic merit as a performance in a small independent film.

Explore the Best Feature Film National Award winners to see how the Best Film category experienced a similar generational shift.

Recent Best Actress National Award Winners (2018 to 2023)

From Keerthy Suresh winning for the Telugu biopic Mahanati in 2018 to Rani Mukerji winning for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway in 2023, the recent editions show a mix of regional language films and mainstream Hindi drama.

The most recent editions of the National Film Awards highlight a strong balance between commercial Hindi cinema and highly acclaimed South Indian releases.

  • 2018: Keerthy Suresh (Mahanati, Telugu) — A brilliant biographical performance.
  • 2019: Kangana Ranaut (Manikarnika & Panga, Hindi) — Two vastly different roles.
  • 2020: Aparna Balamurali (Soorarai Pottru, Tamil) — A grounded, powerful performance opposite Suriya.
  • 2021: Alia Bhatt (Gangubai Kathiawadi, Hindi) and Kriti Sanon (Mimi, Hindi) — Two massive commercial hits driven entirely by female leads.
  • 2022: Nithya Menen (Thiruchitrambalam, Tamil) and Manasi Parekh (Kutch Express, Gujarati) — A victory for nuanced regional storytelling.
  • 2023: Rani Mukerji (Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, Hindi) — A veteran actress winning for an intense emotional drama.

This recent list proves that female-led films are dominating both the box office and the critical landscape. Actresses are no longer winning just for supporting roles in male-driven films. They are winning for films where they carry the entire narrative weight.

Check the 71st National Film Awards complete winners to see how Rani Mukerji’s win fit into the larger ceremony context.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Actress National Award

What trophy does the Best Actress National Award winner receive?

The Best Actress National Award winner receives a Rajat Kamal. The government presents the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) for individual acting categories, while it reserves the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) for major film categories like Best Feature Film.

Who was the first ever winner of the Best Actress National Award?

Nargis Dutt was the first ever winner of the Best Actress National Award. She won the inaugural prize at the 15th National Film Awards in 1967 for her performance as a woman with dissociative identity disorder in the Hindi film Raat Aur Din.

Has any actress won the Best Actress award in two consecutive years?

Yes, Shabana Azmi, Archana, and Kangana Ranaut have won the Best Actress award in consecutive years. Shabana Azmi actually won three years in a row (1982-1984). Archana won in 1987 and 1988. Kangana Ranaut won in 2014 and 2015.

Has Sridevi won a National Film Award?

Yes, Sridevi won the Best Actress National Award for the film Mom. She received the award at the 65th National Film Awards honoring films from 2017. The jury awarded it to her posthumously following her sudden passing.

Has Alia Bhatt won the Best Actress National Award?

Yes, Alia Bhatt has won the Best Actress National Award. She won the prestigious Rajat Kamal at the 69th National Film Awards for her lead performance in the 2021 Hindi biographical crime drama Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Discover More National Film Awards Coverage

«
»

Leave a Reply