| 44th National Film Awards | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best of Indian cinema in 1996 |
| Awarded by | Directorate of Film Festivals |
| Presented by | Shankar Dayal Sharma (President of India) |
| Announced on | 6 May 1997 |
| Presented on | 15 July 1997 |
| Official website | dff.nic.in |
| Highlights | |
| Best Feature Film | Lal Darja |
| Best Non-Feature Film | Sham's Vision |
| Best Book | The Eye of the Serpent |
| Best Film Critic | M. K. Raghavendra |
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award | Sivaji Ganesan |
| Most awards | Minsara Kanavu (4) |
The 44th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 1996.[1] The awards were announced on 6 May 1997,[2] and presented in July.