States » EastPosted at: Sep 19 2026 1:33PM


Bihar's talent shines at 72nd National Film Awards; Four film personalities to be honoured

Patna, Sep 19 (UNI) Bihar is set to make a mark at the 72nd National Film Awards, with four film personalities associated with the state being honoured for their contributions to Indian cinema.
Actor Sanjay Mishra, filmmaker Kamlesh K. Mishra, producer Minty Mishra and film critic Sanjeev Srivastava will receive National Film Awards for the year 2024 at a ceremony on September 22 at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Gujarat. President Droupadi Murmu will present the awards.
The recognition is particularly significant for Bihar, with the four awardees representing different facets of the film world—from acting and filmmaking to production and film criticism.
Darbhanga-born actor Sanjay Mishra will receive the Rajat Kamal for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film Bhakshak. The film's story was inspired by the widely reported Muzaffarpur shelter home case in Bihar.
Director Kamlesh K. Mishra and producer Minty Mishra, both associated with Gopalganj, will receive the Rajat Kamal in the category of Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction/Compilation Film for Kakori.
Based on the theme of patriotism, Kakori is made to commemorate the centenary of the historic Kakori Train Action of 1925 and to pay tribute to the revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives in India''s freedom struggle. The film highlights the events surrounding the Kakori action as well as the courage, determination and contribution of the freedom fighters associated with it.
For filmmaker Kamlesh K. Mishra, this is not his first National Film Award. His non-feature film Madhubani: The Station of Colours had earlier won a National Film Award for Best Narration in the non-feature film category.
Mishra made his feature-film directorial debut with Azamgarh, which featured actor Pankaj Tripathi in a prominent negative role. The film dealt with the subject of terrorism. Mishra has continued to focus on history and research in his filmmaking. He also made the documentary Delhi Riots - A Tale of Burn and Blame, dealing with the 2020 Delhi riots. His first short film, Kitab, also received international recognition.
The film Kakori was produced by Jaswinder Singh of Delhi and Minty Mishra of Gopalganj, Bihar, with support from the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department.
Sanjay Mishra, who hails from Darbhanga, is one of India''s well-known actors and has been active in the film industry for more than three decades. He began his acting career with the 1995 film Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India!. Known for his distinctive and impactful performances, Mishra has twice won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor, for Aankhon Dekhi and Vadh.
Journalist, author and film critic Sanjeev Srivastava, who is from Sitamarhi, will receive the Swarna Kamal for Best Film Critic in Hindi. He has been writing about journalism and cinema in Delhi for nearly 25 years and has also reported on the film industry from Mumbai.
Srivastava has authored several books on cinema, including Samay, Cinema Aur Itihas, Cinema Ki Samanantar Duniya and Aapatkal Ka Cinema. He has also conducted an extensive conversation with Arvind Kumar, the founding editor of Madhuri magazine, about the golden era of Indian cinema, which he considers significant for the study of cinema.
Reacting to the National Film Award for Kakori, director Kamlesh K. Mishra described the honour as a moment of immense pride and happiness. He said the National Film Award is not merely recognition for a film or filmmaker, but also national acknowledgement of creative efforts that present history, society and human emotions with sincerity.
Mishra said he viewed the award less as a personal achievement and more as a tribute to the revolutionaries who made sacrifices during the Kakori Train Action. He said the 1925 incident was an important chapter in India''s freedom movement and that his objective was to bring the historical episode to today''s generation with the significance it deserved.
He thanked producer Jaswinder Singh, Minty Mishra, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the film's entire cast and technical team, describing the award as the result of collective effort and dedication.
Mishra said he was particularly pleased that the National Film Awards had provided an opportunity to remember the Kakori revolutionaries and their sacrifices at the national level. He dedicated the honour to all the freedom fighters who gave their lives for the country.
Producer Minty Mishra said being associated with a film on an important historical event such as Kakori had been a significant and rewarding experience. The National Film Award, she said, had made the journey even more special.
She said the Kakori Train Action was an important chapter in India''s freedom struggle and that remembering the courage, sacrifice and determination of the revolutionaries and taking their story to younger generations was a collective responsibility.
Minty Mishra said the film was an effort to bring greater attention to an important but relatively less-discussed episode of India''s freedom movement. She expressed gratitude to the film''s main producer Jaswinder Singh and praised writer-director Kamlesh K. Mishra and the entire team for their dedication.
Film critic Sanjeev Srivastava, reacting to the award, said receiving the National Award for Best Film Critic was a matter of great pride for him. He also described the recognition of four personalities associated with Bihar at this year''s National Film Awards as a significant achievement for the state.
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