The Jury for the Best Writing on Cinema consisted of the following:

1. Shri M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Chairman

2. Shri SanJit Narwekar, Member
3. Ms. Githa Hariharan, Member

    The books and the articles were circulated to the Jury in advance and the Jury held its meeting on 28.6.99 in the Directorate of Film Festivals, Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market and on 15.7.99 in Hotel Kanishka for finalising its recommendations for the following awards:-

1) NATIONAL AWARD FOR THE BEST BOOK ON CINEMA 1998
 

2) NATIONAL AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM CRITIC 1998

    The Jury considered 22 Books received for the Award for the Best Book on Cinema 1998 representing 10 languages and articles by 17 Film Critics representing 5 Indian Languages for the Awards for the Best Film Critic 1998.

1. AWARD FOR THE BEST BOOK ON CINEMA, 1998

CINEMAEE BHASHA AUR HINDI by DR. RISHORE VASWANI

SAMVADON RA VISHLESHAN (Hind))

Swarna Kamal and a Cash prize of Rs. 15,000/- to the Author: Dr. KISHORE VASWANI

Swarna Kamal and a cash prize of Rs. 15,000/- to the Publisher: HINDI BOOK CENTRE, 4/5B ASAF ALI ROAD, NEW DELHI - 110 002.

Citation

                THE AWARD FOR THE BEST BOOK ON CINEMA, 1998 GOES TO CINEMAEE BHASHA AUR HINDI
                SAMVADON KA VISHLESHAN FOR ITS TAKING ON A NEW AREA OF STUDY, AND FOR ITS
                ORIGINAL ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE IN HINDI CINEMA, DRAWING LINKS
                WITH INDIAN THEATRE AND LITERATURE.

SPECIAL MENTION

    The Book Jury makes a Special Mention for 1998 of GASTON ROBERGE for his book COMMUNICATION CINEMA DEVELOPMENT which brings a multidisciplinary approach to bear on the subject of film.
 

2. AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM CRITIC 1998

MEENARSHI SHEDDE

Swarna Kamal and a Cash prize of Rs. 15,000/- to theFilm Critic MEENAKSHI SHEDDE

Citation

            The award for the Best Film Critic of 1998 goes to MEENAKSHI SHEDDE for her lucid and objective criticism. She
            goes beyond the evaluation of a film in her attempt to place it in its social milieu, and her work reflects a good grasp of
            the aesthetics of cinema.