National Film Award for Best Cinematography

National Film Award for Best Cinematography
National award for contributions to Indian Cinema
Sponsored byNational Film Development Corporation of India
Formerly calledAward for excellence in Cinematography (1967–1976)
Reward(s)
  • Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus)
  • ₹2,00,000
First award1967
Final award2022
Most recent winnerRavi Varman, Ponniyin Selvan: I
Highlights
Total awarded
  • 69 (Cameraman)
  • 23 (Laboratory Processing)
  • 1 (Cinematographer)
First winner
  • Ramachandra (Colour)
  • M. N. Malhotra (Black-and-white)

The National Film Award for Best Cinematography is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus).

The award was instituted in 1967, at 15th National Film Awards and awarded annually for films produced in the year across the country, in all Indian languages. Till 34th National Film Awards, awards were given for Black-and-white as well as Color motion picture film. Since 37th National Film Awards, Laboratory Processing are also awarded under the same category. From 70th National Film Awards, the primary/main cinematographer is alone awarded, while eliminating the existing two sub-categories.