From Shyamchi Aai to the 72nd edition, National Film Awards mark 7 decades of cinematic recognition

Parwinder Sandhu New Delhi, Sep 20 (UNI) What began in 1954 with just seven honours for films made the previous year has grown into a seven-decade-old national recognition system celebrating India's diverse cinematic traditions, creative excellence and technical achievements. The first edition of the National Film Awards covered feature films, documentary films and children's films. Marathi film Shyamchi Aai won the President's Gold Medal for Best All-India Feature Film, while Mahabalipuram received the President's Gold Medal for Best Documentary Film. Do Bigha Zamin was awarded a Certificate of Merit. The awards were instituted to encourage artistic and technical excellence in…