The 71st National Film Awards honour films certified in 2023. Deep Fridge stood out among the regional contenders and won the Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) in the Best Bengali Feature Film category. It’s a Bengali drama film directed by Arjunn Dutta and starring Abir Chatterjee as Swarnava and Tanushree Chakraborty as Mili in the lead roles. The film is produced by Krishna Kyal.
All the winners of this year’s national award were announced on 1st August, 2025. The award ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 23rd September. Director Arjunn Dutta accepted the award from the Honourable President of India, Draupadi Murmu.
He has dedicated the prestigious award to his late mother, who passed away during the film’s production. In his emotional remarks, he said that completing the film amid personal tragedy made the win even more meaningful to him.
Deep Fridge is a drama about a divorced couple forced to spend a night together reflecting on their conjugal days after five years of divorce. The film attempts to touch the emotional depth of human hearts and the complexities of relationships.
Its restrained storytelling, intimate setting, strong performances, and emotional honesty helped it gain favour with the jury. Deep Fridge made rounds in film festivals and drew critical attention well before the national awards. This win comes as a moment of pride for all the Bengali movie buffs, reinforcing that regional films can not only resonate locally but also compete nationally. This film is a testament to the fact that if a film is made with nuance and honesty, then the language doesn’t matter at all. The success of Deep Fridge on the national stage is expected to draw more attention from a larger spectrum of audience towards Bengali Cinema. It is set to release theatrically on 21st November.
