At the 64th National Film Awards in 2017, which movie won the National Award for Best Film on social issues?

Introduction / Context:
The National Film Awards are India most important official film honours, given to recognise excellence in different categories such as acting, direction, and socially relevant content. The category Best Film on social issues highlights movies that address important social problems and spark discussion among viewers. In the 64th National Film Awards announced in 2017, a widely discussed film dealing with gender, consent, and legal justice was honoured in this category. This question asks you to identify that film from the given list of popular titles.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The awards are the 64th National Film Awards, announced in 2017.
• The category is Best Film on social issues.
• The options are Dangal, Pink, Sultan, and Airlift.
• Only one of these films actually received this particular award.

Concept / Approach:
Pink is a Hindi film that deals directly with issues of sexual harassment, consent, victim blaming, and the way society and the legal system treat women when they complain about abuse. Because of its strong social message and courtroom drama, it was chosen for the National Award for Best Film on social issues at the 64th National Film Awards. Dangal and Sultan are sports themed films focusing more on wrestling and personal struggle, while Airlift centres on the evacuation of Indians during a crisis in Kuwait. None of these is classified under the Best Film on social issues category in the official list for that year.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the key phrase Best Film on social issues, which implies a story built around a social problem or reform theme. Step 2: Briefly recall the main theme of each option. Step 3: Recognise that Pink specifically addresses women safety, consent, and gender based prejudice in urban India. Step 4: Note that Dangal and Sultan are primarily sports and biographical dramas, and Airlift is a historical rescue drama. Step 5: Choose Pink as the correct answer because it clearly fits the social issues category and is known to have received that National Award.

Verification / Alternative check:
A verification technique is to recall how each film was promoted and discussed in the media. Pink was frequently described as a strong social message film and was widely debated for its courtroom dialogues about consent. In contrast, Dangal and Sultan were promoted as sports and family dramas, while Airlift was celebrated as a patriotic rescue story. If you also remember that Dangal received awards in other categories, this further supports that Pink is the correct choice for Best Film on social issues.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Dangal did receive critical acclaim and awards but not specifically this social issues category at the 64th National Film Awards.
Sultan, though popular, was recognised more as a commercial sports drama and did not win this particular award.
Airlift focused on a historic evacuation and was appreciated for its narrative but is not listed as the Best Film on social issues for that year.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes pick the most commercially successful or highest grossing film among the options instead of the one that matches the exact award category. Another trap is mixing up different National Award categories such as Best Popular Film or Best Film on social issues. To avoid this, always match the theme of the movie with the wording of the category and rely on clear memories of how that film was described in reviews and award announcements.

Final Answer:
At the 64th National Film Awards in 2017, the movie that won the National Award for Best Film on social issues was Pink.