71st National Film Awards 2025: Complete List of Best Actors Through The Years

The 71st National Film Awards (2025) honoring the best performances in 2023/24 films, are being announced this evening. Once revealed, the current Best Actor winner will join this historical list spanning nearly six decades of Indian cinema.

Take a look at the previous years winners before the announcement of 71st National Film Awards

First Winner & Early Years

1967: Uttam Kumar (for Anthony Firingee & Chiriyakhana); the first-ever winner of this award at the 15th National Film Awards

Repeat Winners Across Languages

Many celebrated actors received this honor multiple times:

Amitabh Bachchan (4 wins),

Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Ajay Devgn (3 wins each)

Others like Sanjeev Kumar, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Dhanush, Mithun Chakraborty won it twice

Year-by-Year Winners (1967–2000)
Year- Actor- Film -Language

1967 Uttam Kumar Anthony, Firingee / Chiriyakhana, Bengali
1968 Ashok Kumar, Aashirwad, Hindi
1969 Utpal Dutt Bhuvan, Shome, Hindi
1970 Sanjeev Kumar, Dastak ,Hindi
1971 M. G. Ramachandran, Rickshawkaran, Tamil
1972 Sanjeev Kuma,r Koshish, Hindi
1973 P. J. Antony, Nirmalyam, Malayalam
1974 Sadhu Meher, Ankur, Hindi
1975 M. V. Vasudeva Rao, Chomana Dudi, Kannada
1976 Mithun Chakraborty, Mrigayaa ,Hindi
1977 Bharath Gopi, Kodiyettam ,Malayalam
1978 Arun Mukherjee ,Parasuram ,Bengali
1979 Naseeruddin Shah, Sparsh, Hindi
1980 Balan K. Nair, Oppol, Malayalam
1981 Om Puri, Arohan, Hindi
1982 Kamal Haasan, Moondram Pirai, Tamil
1983 Om Puri, Ardh Satya, Hindi
1984 Naseeruddin Shah, Paar, Hindi
1985 Shashi Kapoor ,New Delhi Times, Hindi
1986 Charuhasan Tabarana Kathe Kannada
1987 Kamal Haasan, Nayagan (Tamil), Tamil
1988 Premji, Piravi, Malayalam
1989 Mammootty, Mathilukal & Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Malayalam
1990 Amitabh Bachchan, Agneepath, Hindi
1991 Mohanlal, Bharatham, Malayalam
1992 Mithun Chakraborty, Tahader Katha, Bengali
1993 Mammootty ,Ponthan Mada & Vidheyan, Malayalam
1994 Nana Patekar, Krantiveer, Hindi
1995 Rajit Kapur, The Making of the Mahatma, English
1996 Kamal Haasan, Indian Tamil
1997 Balachandra Menon / Suresh Gopi Samaantharangal / Kaliyattam Malayalam
1998 Ajay Devgn / Mammootty Zakhm / Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar English
1999 Mohanlal, Vanaprastham, Malayalam
2000 Anil Kapoor, Pukar, Hindi