Uttarakhand's folk soul gets its moment in the spotlight. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has approved a sweeping list of awards under the Uttarakhand Film Policy-2024, honouring filmmakers, actors, singers, and technicians across two award cycles — 2024 and 2025 — in both regional dialect and Hindi film categories.

Narendra Singh Negi and Hemant Pandey earn Lifetime Achievement honours

The centrepiece of the announcement is the Lifetime Achievement Award. For 2024, it goes to Narendra Singh Negi — the legendary Garhwali folk singer widely regarded as the living voice of Uttarakhand's mountain culture. For 2025, the same honour is bestowed on veteran actor Hemant Pandey. Both laureates will receive a cash prize of ₹2 lakh each along with a citation. Negi, whose decades of folk compositions have preserved the Garhwali dialect for generations, is a name that resonates far beyond the state's borders.

Garhwali cinema steals the show in 2024 regional awards

In the Uttarakhand dialect film category for 2024, the Garhwali film 'Ghparol' dominates — its producer Ajay Dhaundiyal wins Best Film (₹2 lakh), Siddharth Sharma takes Best Director and Best Screenplay, and Vinay Chanana earns Best Cinematographer. The film 'Kara Ek Pratha' sweeps the acting categories: Ramesh Rawat (Best Actor), Shivani Bhandari (Best Actress), and Ajay Singh Bisht (Best Supporting Actor), each receiving ₹1 lakh. The Jaunsari film 'Mere Gaon Ki Baat' claims Best Supporting Actress for Madhubala and Best Singer for Ajab Singh — a nod to Uttarakhand's third major dialect community.

'Kesari Chapter 2' leads 2025 Hindi film sweep

The 2025 awards introduce a Hindi film category, and 'Kesari Chapter 2' commands it. Director Karan Singh Tyagi wins Best Director; Akshay Kumar takes Best Actor; Ananya Pandey wins Best Actress; R. Madhavan earns Best Supporting Actor; Jyoti singer Jubin Nautiyal — himself from Uttarakhand — claims Best Singer. The screenplay prize goes jointly to Karan Singh Tyagi and Amrit Pal. Best Hindi Film goes to 'Manu Kya Karega', with producer Sharad Mehra receiving the award.

'Raibar' and 'Dwi Hola Jab Saath' carry Garhwali flag in 2025

Among regional dialect films for 2025, the Garhwali film 'Raibar' wins Best Film, with producer Bhagat Singh Saini and director Sushil Uniyal both recognised. Rajesh Naugai wins Best Supporting Actor and Dharmendra Singh Sisodia takes Best Cinematographer for the same film. The Garhwali film 'Dwi Hola Jab Saath' contributes three more winners: Best Actor Manish Dimri, Best Actress Kalyani Gangola, and Best Singer Vikas Bhardwaj.

Golden Brahmakamal for directors, Silver for the rest

Beyond cash, the awards carry symbolic weight rooted in the state's identity. Producers and directors receive a Golden Brahmakamal — Uttarakhand's state flower — along with a citation. All other awardees, from actors to technicians, receive a Silver Brahmakamal and citation. The prize structure is tiered: ₹2 lakh for Best Film, ₹1.50 lakh for Best Director, and ₹1 lakh each for acting, writing, singing, and cinematography categories. All selections were made on the recommendation of a jury panel.

CM Dhami, in his approval note, underlined the state's intent plainly: Uttarakhand has a distinctive cultural identity, and backing regional films and artists will open new doors for local talent. With a policy that recognises Garhwali, Jaunsari, and Hindi productions in the same breath — and ties global Bollywood names like Akshay Kumar to a state-level honour — Uttarakhand is signalling that its mountains are open for cinema, and its culture is too valuable to stay local.