70th National Film Awards: AR Rahman emerges as a 7-time award winner; only musician to fetch this feat

The announcement of the 70th National Film Awards took place on Friday, August 16. The Best Actor awards went to Rishab Shetty and Nithya Menen for their roles in Thiruchitrambalam and Kantara, respectively. The film Gulmohar, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Sharmila Tagore, took home the “Best Hindi Film” award. In the meantime, AR Rahman made history as the first Indian music director to win seven trophies at the esteemed ceremony. Vishal Bharadwaj, a music director and filmmaker, is currently ranked third.

At the 70th National Film Awards, Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman won Best Music Director (background score) for his work on Mani Ratnam’s 2022 Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1.

Reportedly, music maestro Isaignani Ilaiyraaja is the second music director to own most of them. Illaiyraaja has won five National Awards for music including his 2015 win for Tharai Thappattai.

Best known for directing movies like Omkara, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, and Rangoon, Bhardwaj now has nine National Film Awards. The filmmaker-music director has won five trophies in music direction and four in other categories. At the 70th National Film Awards, Bhardwaj won the trophy for Best Music Direction (non-feature film) in his 2023 directorial musical romance short film, Fursat.

Illaiyraaja has won five National Awards for music including his 2015 win for Tharai Thappattai.

For Mani Ratnam’s 1992 film Roja, AR Rahman received his first National Film Award for music direction. In 1996, he won another one for the Tamil film Minsara Kanavu. Rahman won the 2001 National Film Award trophy for Lagaan, which starred Aamir Khan. Awards for films such as Kannanthal Muthamittal, Kaatru Veliyidai, and Mom also accounts to his stardom.

Prior to Fursat, Vishal Bharadwaj had won National Film Awards for his work directing music in films such as Godmother, Haider, Ishqiya, and 1232 KMS. In addition, he received these honors for Haider (Best Screenplay), Omkara (Special Jury Award), Talvar (Best Screenplay and Best Audiography), and The Blue Umbrella (Best Children’s Film).