The National Film Award for Best Actor is one of the most prestigious honours in Indian cinema, honouring actors who deliver outstanding performances in leading roles. Based on the National Film Award 2025, a total of 64 Best Actor Awards have been conferred upon 49 talented actors, each marking their excellence in the journey of the Indian film industry.
Initially introduced in 1954 as the State Awards for Films, it has now evolved into the iconic National Film Awards, a true benchmark of acting brilliance.
During the National Film Award event, every winner proudly coveted the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus), a certificate, and a cash prize, symbols of the highest recognition an actor can achieve in India.
In this blog, you will not only discover the National Film Award for Best Actor winners list, but also explore the legendary actors who have set acting standards over the years, along with the latest 2025 National Film Award-winning actors.
Recent Winners & Recipients of National Film Awards for Best Actor
Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) is one of the highest-paid and richest actors in the Bollywood industry. He is also known as the “Baadshah of Bollywood” and “King Khan.” During his acting career, he appeared in more than 100 films and earned numerous accolades, including a National Film Award for Best Actor and 15 Filmfare Awards.
Other National Awards of Shah Rukh Khan:
- Padma Shri
- Order of Arts and Letters and Legion of Honour
- Filmfare Best Male Debut Award
Vikrant Massey
Vikrant Massey is one of the popular Indian actors, and he is known for his versatility. Massey is the recipient of a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award. He rose to fame when he appeared in ‘12th Fail‘, which got hit and praised by the critics and audiences..
Massey has won numerous accolades during his acting career, including Bollywood Hungama Style Icons Award, Filmfare OTT Awards, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Indian Telly Awards, and more.
Other Film Awards of Vikrant Massey
- National Film Awards for Best Actor
- Pinkvilla Screen and Style Icons Awards
- Screen Awards
- Zee Cine Awards
Rishab Shetty
Prashanth Shetty, originally known as Rishabh Shetty is an Indian actor, director and film who works in Kannada cinema. A Big breakthrough came to Rishabh Shetty’s life when he appeared in Kantara (2022) for which he won National Film Award for Best Actor in leading role.
He won the National Film Award for best actor in the 70th National Film Award ceremony his exceptional acting in the Kantara movie. With this he also the winner of the following awards which are mentioned below.
More Film Awards of Rishabh Shetty
- 11th SIIMA Awards
- 68th Filmfare Awards South
- Silver Lotus Awards
- Karnataka State Film Awards
Allu Arjun
Allu Arjun is an Indian actor who mostly works in Telugu cinema. He is recognized as one of the highest-paid actors in Tamil cinema, and has been featured in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list since 2014.
Recognized as the “Icon Star”, he is known for his versatile personality and accliamed dancing abilities. He features in over 21 films and has been the recipient of the several accoldaes including National Film Award, six Filmfare Awards, and three Nandi Awards.
If you wish to know the list of awards and nominations recived by Allu Arjun, visit here.
Suriya
Saravanan Sivakumar is professionally know as Suriya, is an actor, producer who mostly works in Tamil cinema. He is also known as the highest-paid tollywood actors, and is also a one of the finest actors of Indian cinema.
He is recipient of numerous awards in his acting career, including 2 National Award for Best Actor, 6 Filmfare Awards South and 5 Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and has been featured in the Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list for six times.
Other Awards Won by Suriya
- National Film Awards for Best Actor & Feature Film
- Filmfare Awards South
- Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
- Chennai Times Film Awards
- International Tamil Film Awards
Ajay Devgn
Vishal Virender Devgan, professionally known as Ajay Devgn is one of the most profilic actors of Hindi cinema. Devgn has appeared in over 100 films and has won several awards for his exceptional acting, including four National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards.
In 2016, he was also awarded with the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contrubution to Indian cinema.
Other Film Awards of Ajay Devgn
- Filmfare Awards South
- Zee Cine Awards
- BIG Star Entertainment Awards
- Global Indian Film Awards
- Screen Awards
Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj Bajpayee is an indian actor who predominently works in Hindi cinema. He is also known for versatile acting brilliance and also for his entertaining character in films.
He has earned widespread recognition, winning four National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, and two Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2019.
Other Awards Won By Manoj Bajpayee
- Asian Academy Creative Awards
- Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
- FOI Online Awards
- Jagran Film Festival
- New York Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival
Dhanush
Dhanush full name is Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja, is an indian actor, filmmaker, lyricist and playback singer who mostly works in Tamil cinema. He has been featured in 50 films over his career.
He is the recipient of several accolades include four National Film Awards (two as actor and two as producer), fourteen SIIMA Awards, eight Filmfare Awards South and a Filmfare Award.
He is also recognized as one of the highest paid actors in Tamil cinema, he has been included in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list six times. Curious to Know about Dhanush National Awards check out: List of awards and nominations received by Dhanush
Vicky Kaushal
Vicky Kaushal is an Indian actor who is renowned for his work in Hindi films. He is one of the promising actors in the Bollywood industry, and is the recipient of 28 accolades, including three IIFA Awards – Best Debut Actor for Masaan (2016), Best Supporting Actor for Sanju (2019), and Best Actor for Sardar Udham (2022).
He also won the National Film Award for Uri: The Surgical Strike. Kaushal won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Sanju and Best Actor (Critics) for Sardar Udham at the 66th National Film Awards. He also appeared in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list in 2019.
If you want to know Vicky Kaushal Awards, check this: List of Awards & Nominations Won by Vicky kaushal
Complete National Film Awards Winners Actor’s List
Uttam Kumar from Bengali cinema is the first recipient of the award, who was honoured at the 15th National Film Award in 1967, for his roles in Anthony Firingee and Chiriyakhana. With this, he also became the first actor who win this award for two different films in the same year.
As of the 2025 edition, Amitabh Bachchan is the most honoured actor with four awards. Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, and Ajay Devgn with three awards, while six actors—Mohanlal, Mithun Chakraborty, Sanjeev Kumar, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Dhanush – have won the award two times.
Here is the complete list of the winners of the National Award for Best Actor year-wise, so look below and find out who won what in which category and how many times.
List of National Film Awards Winners in 1960
In the late 1960s, the National Film Award honored remarkable performances in Indian cinema. Uttam Kumar from Bengali cinema is the first recipient of the awardWith this, he also became the first actor who win this award for two different films in the same year.
While Ashok Kumar in 1968 for Aashirvaad (Hindi), and Utpal Dutt in 1969 for Bhuwan Some (Hindi), highlighting their exceptional acting and contributions to their respective film industries.
| Year | Recipient(s) | Role(s) | Work(s) | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Uttam Kumar | Anthony Firingee / Byomkesh Bakshi | Antony Firingee / Chiriyakhana | Bengali |
| 1968 | Ashok Kumar | Shivnath “Joggi Thakur” Choudhary | Aashirwad | Hindi |
| 1969 | Utpal Dutt | Bhuvan Shome | Bhuvan Shome | Hindi |
1970 National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Winners
In the 1970s, the National Film Awards celebrated some of the finest acting talent across Indian cinema. Sanjeev Kumar was honored twice, for Dastak (1970) and Koshish (1972) in Hindi, while M.G. Ramachandaran won for Rickshawkaran (1971) in Tamil.
Malayalam cinema was recognized with P.J. Antony for Nirmalyam (1973), Bharath Gopi (Kodiyettam, 1977), and in Kannada cinema, M.V. Vasudeva Rao for Chomana Dudi (1975).
Other notable winners include Sadhu Meher (Ankur, 1974), Mithun Chakraborty (Mrigayaa, 1976), Arun Mukherjee (Parasuram, 1978, Bengali), and Naseeruddin Shah (Sparsh, 1979).
These performances showcased a decade of versatility, talent, and cross-language excellence, leaving a lasting mark on indian cinema.
| Year | Recipient(s) | Role(s) | Work(s) | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Sanjeev Kumar | Hamid Ahmed | Dastak | Hindi |
| 1971 | M. G. Ramachandran | Selvam | Rickshawkaran | Tamil |
| 1972 | Sanjeev Kumar | Hari Charan Mathur | Koshish | Hindi |
| 1973 | P. J. Antony | Velichapad | Nirmalyam | Malayalam |
| 1974 | Sadhu Meher | Kishtayya | Ankur | Hindi |
| 1975 | M. V. Vasudeva Rao | Choma | Chomana Dudi | Kannada |
| 1976 | Mithun Chakraborty | Ghinua | Mrigayaa | Hindi |
| 1977 | Bharath Gopi | Shankaran Kutty | Kodiyettam | Malayalam |
| 1978 | Arun Mukherjee | Parasuram | Parasuram | Bengali |
| 1979 | Naseeruddin Shah | Anirudh Parmar | Sparsh | Hindi |
National Film Award Winners from [1980 – 1990]
The National Film Awards winners between [1980 – 1990] highlighted a decade of exceptional talent across Indian cinema. Malayalam Cinema was recognized with Balan K. Nair for Oppol (1980), Premji for Piravi (1988), and Mammootty for Mathilukal/Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989).
Hindi cinema saw standout performances by Om Puri (Aroham, 1981; Ardh Satya, 1983), Naseeruddin Shah (Paar, 1984), and Shashi Kapoor (New Delhi Times, 1985). Whereas in Tamil cinema, Kamal Haasan was awarded for Moondram Pirai (1982), Nayakan (1987), while Kannada cinema honoured Charuhasan (Tabarana Kathe, 1986).
These actors delivered powerful, memorable performances that defined the cinematic excellence of the decade.
| Year | Recipient(s) | Role(s) | Work(s) | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Balan K. Nair | Govindan | Oppol | Malayalam |
| 1981 | Om Puri | Hari Mondal | Arohan | Hindi |
| 1982 | Kamal Haasan | R. Srinivas (Cheenu) | Moondram Pirai | Tamil |
| 1983 | Om Puri | Anant Velankar | Ardh Satya | Hindi |
| 1984 | Naseeruddin Shah | Naurangia | Paar | Hindi |
| 1985 | Shashi Kapoor | Vikas Pande | New Delhi Times | Hindi |
| 1986 | Charuhasan | Tabara Shetty | Tabarana Kathe | Kannada |
| 1987 | Kamal Haasan | Sakthivelu Nayakar | Nayakan | Tamil |
| 1988 | Premji | Raghava Chakyar | Piravi | Malayalam |
| 1989 | Mammootty | Vaikom Muhammad Basheer / Chandu Chekavar | Mathilukal / Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha | Malayalam |
[1990 – 2000] National Film Awards For Best Actor Winners
The National Film Awards winners from 1990 – 2000 honoured iconic performances across multiple languages. Winners included Amitabh Bachchan (Agneepath), Mohanlal (Bharatham, Vanaparstham), Mithin Chakraborty (Tahader Katha), Mammootty (Ponthan Mada / Vidheyan), Nana Patekar (Kranrtiveer), Rajit Kapur (The Making of the Mahatma), Kamal Haasan (Indian / Chandru), and dual winners Ajay Devgn / Mammootty (Zakhm / Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar), showcasing a decade of versatile and memorable performances.
| Year | Recipient(s) | Role(s) | Work(s) | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Amitabh Bachchan | Vijay Deenanath Chauhan | Agneepath | Hindi |
| 1991 | Mohanlal | Kalliyur Gopinathan | Bharatham | Malayalam |
| 1992 | Mithun Chakraborty | Shibnath | Tahader Katha | Bengali |
| 1993 | Mammootty | Ponthan Mada / Bhaskara Patelar | Ponthan Mada / Vidheyan | Malayalam |
| 1994 | Nana Patekar | Pratap Narayan Tilak | Krantiveer | Hindi |
| 1995 | Rajit Kapur | Mahatma Gandhi | The Making of the Mahatma | English |
| 1996 | Kamal Haasan | Senapathy (Indian), Chandrabose (Chandru) | Indian | Tamil |
| 1997 | Balachandra Menon / Suresh Gopi | Ismail / Kannan Perumalayan | Samaantharangal / Kaliyattam | Malayalam |
| 1998 | Ajay Devgn / Mammootty | Ajay R. Desai / B. R. Ambedkar | Zakhm / Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar | Hindi / English |
| 1999 | Mohanlal | Kunjikuttan | Vanaprastham | Malayalam |
List of National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in [2000 – 2010]
The decade from 2000 – 2010 represented versatile and powerful performances across Indian cinema. Hindi cinema was highlighted by Anil Kapoor (Pukar, 2000), Ajay Devgn (The Legend of Bhagat Singh, 2002), Saif Ali Khan (Hum Tum, 2004), and Amitabh Bachchan (Black, 2005; Paa, 2009).
The Tamil cinema celebrated Vikram (Pithamagan, 2003), Prakash Raj (Kanchivaram, 2007), while Malayalam cinema honoured Murali (Neythukaran, 2001).
Bengali and Marathi cinema recognized Soumitra Chatterjee (Podokkhep, 2006) and Upendra Limaye (Jogwa, 2008). This decade reflected a rich blend of talent diversity and cross-language excellence.
| Year | Recipient(s) | Role(s) | Work(s) | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Anil Kapoor | Major Jaidev Rajvansh | Pukar | Hindi |
| 2001 | Murali | Appa Mestry | Neythukaran | Malayalam |
| 2002 | Ajay Devgn | Bhagat Singh | The Legend of Bhagat Singh | Hindi |
| 2003 | Vikram | Chithan | Pithamagan | Tamil |
| 2004 | Saif Ali Khan | Karan Kapoor | Hum Tum | Hindi |
| 2005 | Amitabh Bachchan | Debraj Sahai | Black | Hindi |
| 2006 | Soumitra Chatterjee | Shashanka Palit | Podokkhep | Bengali |
| 2007 | Prakash Raj | Vengadam | Kanchivaram | Tamil |
| 2008 | Upendra Limaye | Tayappa | Jogwa | Marathi |
| 2009 | Amitabh Bachchan | Auro | Paa | Hindi |
List of National Film Awards Winners for Best Actor in 2010
Here is the list of the winners of the National Film Awards between 2010-2020, highlighting the importance of the Indian film industry culture and heritage. The winners of this prestigious award in India include:
- Dhanush / Salim Kumar
- Girish Kulkarni
- Rajkummar Rao / Suraj Venjaramoodu
- Irrfan Khan / Vikram Gokhale
- Sanchari Vijay
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Akshay Kumar
- Riddhi Sen
- Ayushmann Khurrana / Vicky Kaushal
- Manoj Bajpayee / Dhanush
| Year | Recipient(s) | Role(s) | Work(s) | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dhanush / Salim Kumar | K. P. Karuppu / Abu | Aadukalam / Adaminte Makan Abu | Tamil / Malayalam |
| 2011 | Girish Kulkarni | Keshya | Deool | Marathi |
| 2012 | Irrfan Khan / Vikram Gokhale | Paan Singh Tomar / Ratnakar | Paan Singh Tomar / Anumati | Hindi / Marathi |
| 2013 | Rajkummar Rao / Suraj Venjaramoodu | Shahid Azmi / Father | Shahid / Perariyathavar | Hindi / Malayalam |
| 2014 | Sanchari Vijay | Madesha (Vidya) | Naanu Avanalla…Avalu | Kannada |
| 2015 | Amitabh Bachchan | Bhashkor Banerjee | Piku | Hindi |
| 2016 | Akshay Kumar | Commander Rustom Pavri | Rustom | Hindi |
| 2017 | Riddhi Sen | Parimal (Puti) | Nagarkirtan | Bengali |
| 2018 | Ayushmann Khurrana / Vicky Kaushal | Akash / Major Vihaan Singh Shergill | Andhadhun / Uri: The Surgical Strike | Hindi |
| 2019 | Manoj Bajpayee / Dhanush | Ganpath Bhonsle / Sivasaami | Bhonsle / Asuran | Hindi / Tamil |
2020 – 2025 List of National Film Awards Winners for Best Actor
From 2020-2025, the National Film Awards recognized versatile performances across multiple languages. In 2020, Suriya (Soorarai Pottru, Tamil), and Ajay Devgn (Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior) were honored for their compelling roles.
Allu Arjun received the award in 2021 for Pushpa: The Rise (Telugu), followed by Rishabh Shetty for Kantara (Kannada) in 2022. In 2025, both Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) and Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) were recognized for their outstanding performances in Hindi cinema, highlighting the continued excellence and diversity in Indian acting.
| Year | Recipient(s) | Role(s) | Work(s) | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Suriya / Ajay Devgn | Nedumaaran Rajangam (Maara) / Tanaji Malusare | Soorarai Pottru / Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior | Tamil / Hindi |
| 2021 | Allu Arjun | Molleti Pushparaju | Pushpa: The Rise | Telugu |
| 2022 | Rishab Shetty | Shiva | Kantara | Kannada |
| 2025 | Vikrant Massey / Shah Rukh Khan | Manoj Kumar Sharma / Azad Rathore, Captain Vikram Rathore | 12th Fail / Jawan | Hindi |
Most National Award for Best Actor list
| Actor | Number of Wins | Films & Years | Language(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amitabh Bachchan | 4 | Agneepath (1990), Black (2005), Paa (2009), Piku (2015) | Hindi |
| Sanjeev Kumar | 2 | Dastak (1970), Koshish (1972) | Hindi |
| Om Puri | 2 | Arohan (1981), Ardh Satya (1983) | Hindi |
| Kamal Haasan | 3 | Moondram Pirai (1982), Nayakan (1987), Indian / Chandru (1996) | Tamil |
| Mithun Chakraborty | 2 | Mrigayaa (1976), Tahader Katha (1992) | Hindi / Bengali |
| Mammootty | 4 | Mathilukal / Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989), Ponthan Mada / Vidheyan (1993), Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (1998), Others | Malayalam / English |
| Ajay Devgn | 2 | Zakhm (1998), The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) | Hindi |
| Dhanush | 2 | Aadukalam (2010), Asuran (2019) | Tamil |
National Film Award For Best Actors List 2025
- Best Actor: Shah Rukh Khan for Jawan and Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail.
- Best Actress: Rani Mukerji for Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway.
Types of Languages In Which National Film Awards Honoured
Although the Indian film industry creates movies in nearly 20 languages and dialects, the award-winning performances have come from 8 primary languages: Hindi (27 awards), Malayalam (13 awards), Tamil (9 awards), Bengali (5 awards), Kannada (4 awards), Marathi (3 awards), English (2 awards), and Telugu (1 award).
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